So I previously noted that I was reading a book, "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty. As with most books, shows and life I have a great imagination to allow my thoughts to become part of the book. To say "I get into a book" is an understatement. This is why I LOVE reading. I can experience and go places I have never been. When I was reading Wild by Cheryl Strand I imagined myself hiking the PCT, which I have always wanted to do. Though my character would be slightly different, I appreciate the courageousness.
Back to "What Alice Forgot", she bumped her head after falling at the gym in a step aerobic class and forgot 10 years of her life. I have replayed this in my head and last night a friend asked which 10 years in our life would we chose to forget. Well, it got me thinking that today if I fell on my walk (which could very well happen). My feet and my brain are not really connected. To say I am not athletic is an understatement. I like to hike and walk and explore nature, I do not do well at organized sports. Once, while on a weekend away in Carmel, CA with my husband, we were walking to the beach one evening and I tripped and fell on the sidewalk. There could have been a crack? There could have been a hole in the sidewalk? But no. I went down. I do not go down gracefully, I hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. No arms stretched out to catch me, just DOWN. My husband does not get this because his brain and head are one. He catches himself at a stumble and doesn't fall. Just kinda stumbles. I love cross country skiing. I worked with a woman one time who took me to Royal Gorge often. I fell a lot while on these excursions. When I fall I just wipe out. She used to say, "I have never seen anyone fall quite like Dawn". Obviously, a sack of potatoes!
Back to "What Alice Forgot". So imagine I lost the last 10 years. My husband would have just retired from the Air Force the year before and bought a Landscape Maintenance Business, which he still owns and having never advertised built a very successful business. My oldest daughter would have moved out that year, she was 19 and she would have been living in Nevada City with her best friend. Now she is married, lives two miles away, works at the salon I managed for two years, and her husband is recovering from a recent bone morrow transplant. My oldest son would have been a Sophomore, playing football, baseball, and wresting at Nevada Union High School, which all of my children attended and graduated from, as did I, and my parents. Today, he is a college graduate, married to his college sweetheart, his "one love", living as close to the beach as possible in Ventura, and selling solar to homeowners. His twin brother was also a Sophomore, playing football and basketball. Oh and I was teaching them to drive. The driving lessons fell on me, due to the fact, that I was in "taxi" mode most of the time. I loved teaching my children to drive, I also like to drive myself. Today, he is a college graduate, living with his twin brother and wife in Ventura, working with the same company. My third son was in Jr High ten years ago and driving me nuts... he and I love each other probably too much. We are both compassionate, outgoing, adventurous, and strong willed. I always struggled to stay in control and in a parental structure with him. Today, he is in the US Army stationed at Ft Drum in New York. My youngest daughter would have been in middle school and she was involved in horses, swim team, and making great relationships that would carry her through her life. Today, she is at CSU Monterey Bay studying Psychology, dating a great guy, she met the first day at college. Her dad and I had just left, sobbing and reminiscing on how the last of our children are in college and she goes to the quad for freshman orientation activities and meets a guy! Shouldn't she have been sad? Shouldn't she have some attachment issues? This is not how I raised my children. Of course not! My children were all ready to become independent adults after high school, they were ready for whatever life brought them next. They still are.
To lose 10 years of my life today would be a catastrophe. Wish me well as I walk my 3 miles today.
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