Expect to be Amazed

I grew up out in the country on a gravel road. It was a big deal for me to watch the county road grader come through and level out the road every year or so. It had to pass by at least twice. Sometimes they'd bring out fresh red gravel.  It left sandy, red grit on the cars until the dust finally settled down. We felt like we got a huge advance when they came through with a layer of coarse asphalt. There was no more bouncing in ruts and popping gravel under the tires. Eventually the road was closed just past our driveway when the county decided the bridge at the base of the hill just wasn't worth fixing again. Now I just tell people I grew up out in the country at the end of a dead end road.

 

We lived less than 10 minutes from my elementary school. It was a red brick and concrete block building. The interior walls were painted with what I was sure was government surplus paint. I remember a gloss green that screamed army surplus. There was a huge lilac bush by the tall front steps. I guess it was tucked in and protected from the summer heat. It was the only lilac I remember seeing as a child and the largest I've ever seen. The school had a softball field, a large playground and an open field we could use to work off pent up energy.

 

The 10 minute trip took 30-60 minutes by school bus. One hundred eighty days of the exact same route twice a day can become boring. Sometimes I would read or work on homework. When I was able to get a window seat I'd often give myself a personal challenge.  I'd look to see if I could find something new along the route.  It required close observation of everyday places, things and, sometimes, people. A freshly painted mailbox, a new car, a dog I'd never seen, or a new lawn ornament all scored a successful day's hunt.

I've tried to continue the challenge as I've grown. It's so easy to just pass through the day without appreciating the little marvels and surprises that are there waiting to be discovered. A couple of weeks ago it was the most amazing little maple leaf lying on a sidewalk. Most trees hadn't started getting their fall color but this maple tree was just beginning to turn and drop it's leaves.  This leaf had bright green veins with colors graduating reds and near purple at the edges. It was a work of art.

What a shame it would have been if I'd just passed that little wonder by without taking a minute to appreciate it. We've been gifted with the most amazing world. Even with our carelessness, we've not blotted out the beauty.  We just need to slow down, open our eyes and expect to be amazed.

Being a Responsible Adult Stinks

Have you noticed that sometimes being a responsible adult stinks? Someone has to earn the money and someone has to pay the bills. Someone has to do at least a few basic chores. You've got to eat so you either cook or pay someone else to cook. Paying someone else will eat through a budget in a hurry but it sure is convenient. Have you got a spouse or significant other? You find expectations to be met in addition to the above list. Throw children into the mix and you get more even responsibilities. They need feeding, educating, sheltering. You're expected to provide them social enrichment opportunities. You get them clothes that fit and they turn around and outgrow them a couple of days later. Then they develop opinions of their own. Who needs that hassle? Add a pet or two and you've got even more trouble, more mouths to feed, more needs to be met. We're expected to educate and enrich their lives as well.

What happened? This is not quite what I imagined as a little girl with fairy tale dreams of what my adulthood would be like. I would always be pretty, neat, clean, patient, loving and so incredibly soft spoken that everyone would adore me. Whoa! Where did that woman go?

So, I'm sitting here, typing the deep, dark secrets of my existence to share with goodness knows who. The table in front of me is crowded with papers, each representing some chore to be done. I'm trying to work out how to be in two places at once tomorrow and how to make three days worth of work fit into just two. What I really want to be doing is sitting with my husband watching a movie or sipping hot chocolate while reading a book. 

It's time to take a deep breath, make some sense of this pile of papers, organize my time for this week and go give my husband a kiss. Sometimes being a responsible adult stinks but mostly, it's worth the effort.

Role Models

I just saw a link on Facebook that caught my eye. A photographer, Jaime Moore, was looking for ideas for creative ways to photograph her young daughter. As she searched for inspiration, she found many resources for dressing up her daughter as a Disney princess. Now I'm sure there were plenty of sweet ideas and Disney princesses each have redeeming qualities. Those qualities, however, tend to be overshadowed by the marketing of princess related merchandise.  It ends up being more about creating an image than  celebrating the quality of the character. 

Ms. Moore was looking for something with a bit more substance. She hit upon the idea of dressing her daughter us as real life, amazing women. She chose Coco Channel, Amelia Earhart, Susan B. Anthony, Helen Keller and Jane Goodall. These are real women with real strengths and real challenges.  The photographs she produced were beautiful and timeless.

See what you think of them. They can be found at: http://www.upworthy.com/see-the-5-kick-ass-women-this-mom-dressed-her-daughter-as-instead-of-a-disney-princess?c=ufb1

Several years ago, I became acquainted with the story of a woman who grew up not too far from where Helen Keller was born in north Alabama. Her name was Te-lah-ney, one of the last members of the Yuchi tribe. Her story; recounted by her great, great grandson, Tom Hendrix; was amazing. Mr. Hendrix is absolutely mesmerizing as he speaks. There are far too few story tellers like him around.

I read his book, If the Legends Fade, that is a compilation of Te-lah-ney's journal. Her story of being orphaned by a group of thugs and fur traders and then being sent away to the Indian Territories in Oklahoma is heartbreaking. Her love of her tribal home and her family's memory gave her the strength to find her way back alone.  

I organized a homeschool field trip with several other families. We called it The Extraordinary Women of North Alabama Field Trip. First, we visited Mr. Hendrix and experienced the sacred site he has built in memory of his ancestors. Afterward, we went to Ivy Green, Helen Keller's home. I can't really explain it except to say that it was an uplifting experience.  These two women had both overcome tremendous adversity. They both left amazing legacies for their families and deep roots in the Alabama soil.

 

Sometimes, when I'm a little down or discouraged, I remember that trip. Those women are the kind of role models I'd prefer for my own daughter.

 

For more information about Te-lah-ney and Mr. Hendrix see: http://ifthelegendsfade.com/