i was not a "typical" child, not that i can recall. if mom were still alive, i would ask her. she would say that i was perfect. of course. :)
i was strange, and awkward, and lived inside my head.
my mom taught my brother and me how to spell when we were young. the first word we both learned was a long and complicated word. i won't tell you what it was--that would take its "specialness" away. but she made spelling fun. we loved it.
now i am in my thirties, and i cannot remember how to spell much these days. i hate using spell-check, but it is a necessary evil at times.
also, if you are wondering, no, i do not use capital letters when at a keyboard. sorry. i just can't do it. it's not me at all. when i do insert a capital letter it is because i have deemed that word to be Important. see? :)
anyway when i was a child i preferred to play alone. i had a dollhouse. i made furniture for it. i installed the carpet, wallpaper, even landscaped a yard for it. i was, like, six or seven. this dollhouse was one of my escapes. i would play at that house all day and into the night. i wrote stories about the family that lived there.
writing was another of my escapes. i soon came up with the idea of using 3x5 notecards for my stories. i had different cards for each character in the story, cards for their homes, cards for their schools, etc. i collected magazines and cut out any pictures i liked and glued them to the cards so i could better visualize what i was going for. i was 8 or 9 by then. this was a passion (or obsession) of mine. but it made me happy.
my kids are both quite creative and talented in different areas. i don't have much money, but i know you don't need a lot of money to encourage a child to pursue their interests. scissors, paper, glue, magazines, fabric, buttons, scotch tape (oh, that damn tape! noah has it everywhere), well, we have all that, and i will gladly keep my kids in supply!
another one of my escapes was singing. i sang all the time. i still do. i know i sang better as a child and best as a teenager. now it's all gone gone gone. no tone. really, my singing now is no good. but i still love it. i sing all the time. when i was little i would go outside on our sidewalk (it was raised up a bit from ground level...had a small drain pipe going under it), and that sidewalk was MY Broadway. i was Judy Garland belting out Somewhere Over the Rainbow. i was in a production of Cats! i sang and danced. my brother applauded. he thought i was smashing. well, he was my Superman in those days. i told him he could fly, and he believed me. i believed in him. still do.
i remember my dreams for the future. i was going to be an interior decorator, a fashion designer, be on Broadway occasionally, and also be a struggling artist and take up residence in Greenwich Village.
i love the little girl i used to be. i cherish her. she was a quiet girl. a funny girl. she loved to make people laugh. huh, i still do like to make people laugh.
I said I'd comment tomorrow, but I finally got the energy to get the computer and type. Lots of times I read on my phone, but HATE to type more than a sentence or two unless I'm on the computer. Funny, huh?
ReplyDeleteI am so happy you have started this blog. I know you write a lot but it's always fun to know what's going on in your world. YAY!
Isn't it funny how moms have the power to make things special? You do such a great job at this so I'm guessing you had a pretty awesome mama to learn from. I love the way you encourage your kids and let them explore. Even though you do so much "by yourself," you do it like you're a pro! You kiddos are so lucky to have you.
Writing was one of my favorite escapes. I loved to write and still do. I understand what you mean about spelling. I used to be a fantastic speller and now, I am horrible at it. I too, hate spell check but I often do it anyway, except-I do exclude it ususally on my blog because I like a record of where my brain is functioning. (Embarrassing though). I also have a hard time remembering the correct word or wondering if I made that word up or if I'm using it in the right context. One day-my brain will come back to me I am sure of it! Not good...for someone who considers themself a writer.
I ALSO love to sing, sing, sing. I am NOT good at it though. I am horrible. In fact, when I went to church years ago, a group of ladies used to say that I didn't sing, I made a joyful noise (because it was soooo bad). I'm ok with that. There's nothing like belting out Somewhere Over the Rainbow and imagining you ARE Judy Garland. So funny that you did that too! I still do that...just tonight I was riding home in my car, belting out Carrie Underwood's Just A Dream and Martina McBride's Broken Wing. My Somewhere Over the Rainbow is missing, apparently. It's awesome that you had a captive audience. I'm pretty sure my Kiah monster believes I'm the best singer in the world because sometimes she howls to tell me so! Other than that my fan base is pretty small.
I think remembering that little girl you used to be is so critical! Don't ever let go of her. Whenever I lose myself, she always appears and bring me back to who I am. I cherish my little girl too.
I am looking forward to keeping up on your blog. It's funny how much we have in common already, kindred spirits-I know!
Feel better sweet friend. Talk soon.
thank you, Ginny. i wish i could report that i'm feeling better today. no such thing. atleast (knock on wood) my fever is down. i can't sleep. i am exhausted and hungry. my throat is so swollen, even on the outside, to the touch.
ReplyDeletelove ya, friend.