OH the days of REAL college. I remember all the assignments I completed. Some were A papers, and others went in the trash when I saw the grades. My GPA certainly didn’t reflect a 4.0 student. I was taking 21 units a semester of pre-med classes because those sciences had my attention and heart. Chemistry. Anatomy and Physiology. Statistics. Taxonomy. The list went on and on.
All of them were typed on a very unforgiven electric typewriter. Electric typewriters were new back then. I would start with a beautiful sheet of paper, get 1/2 way through the assignment and mess up. ZZZZIIIIIIIPPPPP was the noise of me pulling the paper out and starting over again. Typing a flawless paper would consume a very frustrating night.
As I sit here today, I’m sad to tell you that true-blonde-to-the-roots little 21 year old graduated in 1977 to get her MRS. degree. An heiress never really plans to work, right? Well the heiress thing didn’t quite work out any better than my first marriage which crashed and burned six years after the “I Do’s”.
My very wealthy mother was horrified that I didn’t use my degree until much later in life. After my divorce, I found that having my very own little cleaning business was the way to support two little boys, aged 2 and 4 at the time. “Silent Partners” was born. The trick with a cleaning business is to limit clientele to wealthy women over the age of 75. Cleaning on top of already clean is a wonderful way to spend the day. The wisdom I gained from watching my clients was amazing. They were a group of women that stepped up to mother me when I needed it, even though I was in my late 20’s.
The word’s of Adele’s new-ish song apply in my life and to this blog, so I will share them with you.
“Easy On Me” — Adele
There ain’t no gold in this river
That I’ve been washing my hands in forever
I know there is hope in these waters
But I can’t bring myself to swim
When I am drowning in this silence
Baby, let me in
Go easy on me, baby
I was still a child
Didn’t get the chance to
Feel the world around me
I had no time to choose what I chose to do
So go easy on me
There ain’t no room for things to change
When we are both so deeply stuck in our ways
You can’t deny how hard I have tried
I changed who I was to put you first
But now I give up
Go easy on me, baby
I was still a child
Didn’t get the chance to
Feel the world around me
Had no time to choose what I chose to do
So go easy on me
I had good intentions
And the highest hopes
But I know right now
It probably doesn’t even show
Go easy on me, baby
I was still a child
I didn’t get the chance to
Feel the world around me
I had no time to choose what I chose to do
So go easy on me
Yes.
Go easy on me, baby.
For the first time in my life, I’m able to chose ever single one of life’s details without consideration for anyone but myself. It’s the scariest thing in the world, but also the thing that has made me grow up and blossom into an independent woman for the first time in my life. It’s quite an accomplishment for me.
So, as this woman sits here, there’s still the internal child screaming for some fun. At least I didn’t choose to go the route of Barbie and her collection of possessions. Alright, I already drive Barbie’s Jeep and own her house and dog. But, there it must end with Barbie and me.
Legos.
Growing up on a farm, there were not bushels of toys. I had live farm animals to play with. I had school work and house chores. I had church on Sunday. A bicycle. One girlfriend that lived one mile away. An older sister who was the antagoniz-er and a little sister was the tormentor. The two oldest sisters got their MRS. degrees right after they finished college and hit the road, never really looking back.
Living 45 minutes from any stores, shopping trips were few and far between. My mother was excellent with at budgeting. She managed meal preparations for seven people 21 times a week. That’s 148 different meals a week, all delicious and perfectly balanced to grow healthy girls. Always on time at 7, 12, and 6. Like clockwork. She canned everything from the garden she grew. Dad did the butchering of meats in between farming and irrigating. We were 100% organic without trying.
So, no fast food. No neighborhood kids with which to run. No shopping malls. Hundreds of square miles of vineyards and one funny looking blonde girl with long straight hair. That was me.
One Christmas, (on which we each got one present and a stocking full of trinkets), my present was Legos. I was hooked. I loved them so much. Never would I have thought of leaving MY Legos on the floor. Never did I lose even one. At that time in life, they came in primary colors and in just a couple of different sizes. There was no instruction booklet to guide a person through. I absolutely was hooked for a few years.
Then I grew up and forgot all about Legos.
Today, I’m not interested in Lego Land. Not interested in most of the dumb projects Lego sells. That was, until I saw IT.
The Lighted Typewriter.
Now, I saw this item about 1 year ago. I started dreaming of the significant event that would need to occur in which I would reward myself with such a gift. Every writer of my age started on a manual typewriter and knows the QWERTY keyboard. I’m no exception.
This Lego product was insanely expensive. Another reason I would wait for the proper time. Just turning another year older wasn’t enough. Christmas wasn’t either. It had to be something really, really significant. So, I waited, checking in throughout the year to see if it was still available.
Last week, when the total reads on my blog passed 250,000, it was time. I ordered the Lego Typewriter AND the LED lighting kit.
When it arrived in the brown paper box, I shook it to hear the familiar rattle of the blocks inside. And then, I began to click the pieces together.
Due to the engineering of the design, it makes very realistic noises as you hit the keys making the carriage move along the track. When you manually move the carriage back, the resulting noise is realistic, as well. It even has a set of pre-typed letters you can choose to put in the typewriter when you are done. I’ll be creating my own letter to myself as a finishing touch.
So. Here’s the truth of it.
I have a meaningful relationship with God.
I have beautiful children and wonderful family memories.
I have the cutest dog in the world named Oliver
I have the best girlfriends a woman could have.
I have Barbie’s Jeep, Hot Tub, and House.
I have my own She-Shed. (It just happens to be my entire house, as a neighbor pointed out.)
I have a career that I dearly love.
I have my very own Winterpast.
I make my schedules, getting up when I want and closing my eyes to complete silence and peace when I go to bed to sound and restful sleep.
And now, I’m reliving a moment from my childhood while I choose to play with Legos.
“Go easy on me, baby
I was still a child
I didn’t get the chance to
Feel the world around me
I had no time to choose what I chose to do
So go easy on me”
Blessed, I’m off to start the day! Do something you’ve enjoyed in the past. Go ahead. Choose what you choose to do!
More tomorrow.