I Never Knew Me A Better Time

Day 18 – Write about a memory from your childhood. Be as descriptive as possible.

 

Writing about childhood memories is actually really difficult for me. I’m sort of horrible at remembering the details of stories unless I’m recounting them amongst my family. Otherwise, I’m miserable at recalling it all.

For some reason today I keep thinking about this memory I have of a camping trip we took when I was in elementary school. We went camping several times when I was a kid, so lots of details seem to blend together. The smell of campsites as you roll in, the seemingly sprawling (to my kid mind) lakes we usually would camp on, the inevitable playgrounds these places had which were most likely in no way up to code.

However, this particular memory revolves around a song I was obsessed with at the time. I feel like it was one of the first trips we took that I had my yellow plastic Walkman to listen to on the drive up. And what was I listening to? Why, my mom’s cassette tape album of Elton John’s ‘Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player’ (yes I had to look that up, but wow, I haven’t seen that album cover in years!). Specifically I was obsessed with ‘Crocodile Rock’ and played it over and over again during our time camping and when I wasn’t listening to it, I was running around singing it. I’m sure that got really old for my family, but damn I was obsessed that song! To this day, whenever I hear it, I’m reminded of that trip.

So yeah, it wasn’t really a significant moment in my childhood or anything like that, but for some reason when I read the writing prompt for today, it was the first thing that popped into my mind.

A Favorite Photo of Yours Truly

Day 17 - Your favorite photo of yourself and why.

This picture was snapped by my best friend while in Joshua Tree a few years back. There are so many reasons why this is my favorite photo of myself. First of all, my best friend had decided a few days before my birthday to fly to LA to see me! We were also at my favorite place ever. We were goofing around taking pictures of ourselves doing ridiculous things (just like we did in middle school). Basically it was just a really great time all around.

Oh and of course, she also took a fantastic action shot.

Really, what can I complain about?

Today’s prompt was to write about something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it.

For all intents and purposes, my ‘lot in life’ is pretty damn good. This was one of the topics I’ve been most apprehensive to write about because I feel like anything I’d say would just come across like whining.

First off, I have a ridiculously good family. As in, when I have kids, I pretty much want to carbon copy my childhood for them.

I guess I could say I felt self-conscious in middle and high school, but I’m pretty sure that’s developmental and I emerged from it very much unscarred and was lucky enough to form a group of friends that are still my besties to this day. So no complaints there.

Let’s see… in terms of ‘guy’ issues, I never really had them. It helps that I sort of detest ‘dating’ and of the very few whom I did date, I could run into them and it would be all catching up on old times. No running the other way or awkwardness. So I consider myself to be lucky (and super picky) there.

Of course I hit the jackpot with James and that’s great too! I mean what could I even complain about there? He hates vegetables? Not really noteworthy. The man’s a gem.

So then I move onto other things. Maybe I could complain about literally graduating during the financial collapse. Yeah I guess that sucks, but we’ve been relatively unscathed by that and I have had the best support. Not to mention in my life I’ve always had access to amazing educational opportunities and healthcare and all those privileges that so many people don’t get. So no dice there.

It’s not really a revelation to me that my ‘lot in life’ is really great. The only thing I’d want to change is to move closer to my family and friends. However, I actively chose to move out here, so it’s not like my hand was forced. We’ll get there eventually (and, again, we’re extremely privileged to be able to someday do that). And of course I have bad days and things I’d like to change about my life, but I’m very fortunate that a lot of that I can actually change myself. I just have to get around to doing it.

I guess the thing I really grapple with the most is how best to use the opportunities presented to me. I don’t know how yet, but I would love to see more people being afforded those same opportunities. Yes, it’s a bit idealistic, but I’d love to someday devote my time to working on social changes. However, I’m getting away with myself a bit and that’s a post for a different time.

10 Things Making me Happy + 1 Apology

10 things that are currently making me happy:

1. That photo of James and I that I randomly found in my folders.

2. Parks & Rec. I just started streaming it and it definitely makes me happy.

3. Peanut M&Ms.

4. A beautiful day that only hit 80 degrees. Goodbye for now 100+, please don’t come back.

5. The power of Advil. Ohhh, how miserable I’d be without you!

6. This picture from the last time we went to Joshua Tree. That beard is gone, but will live forever in infamy.

7. Ice cream sandwiches at work!

8. Conversations with friends about cheese. Odes to cheese, really.

9. The perfect Gap v-neck I got at an outlet like 7 years ago that’s still amazing.

10. The fact that we’re currently fostering 3 kittens (like baaaaby kittens) from a litter our friends found under their porch.

An apology:

Dearest Troy & Nomar,

I’m so sorry there are three foreign kittens up in your turf currently. Don’t worry though because their cuteness doesn’t even come close to the glory that was your kittenhood. See that picture up there? I doubt even my first born can approach that level of adorable. So no, you don’t have to worry about them staying forever! Just until they’re old enough to find their own homes.

Plus I know you’ll be nice… right, Nomar? Right??

 

***

Yes, I’m killing two birds with one stone & making up for missing yesterday by combining the two topics!

I Miss

I miss a lot of things and, other than things like childhood and that really amazing Spice Girls polaroid camera, most of those things are in New England.  My family, my friends.  Being in the place I grew up.  Experiencing proper seasons.  Lobster rolls (like the good ones) and Cape Cod potato chips.  It’s not easy living far away from all of that…

Okay, obviously this is more about the friends and family.  I wouldn’t want them to read this and think that I miss them only as much as deep fried potato slices. It’s definitely been an adjustment for me since I’ve been out here considering almost all of my extended family lives within an hour of each other.  Days like today, Mother’s Day (hi mom!!), are especially hard because a phone call seems so impersonal and hopping on a plane is just not feasible.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining here.  I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to live somewhere completely different from New England.  Many people I grew up with never left and I think that would have been really hard for me.  However, I sometimes do wish we were at least a little bit closer.  Six hour plane rides are kind of grating. 

Maybe we can fold up the middle of the country a little bit?  Just sometimes?  No?  Okay… bad idea.

Well… That’s Awkward

Today we are talking about embarrassment! I almost revel in awkward situations because there isn’t a human on this earth who can escape them. Think of the coolest person you can! They’ve been mortified more than once in their life. Guaranteed. Embarrassment, bringing us all closer together!

It’s really hard for me to pinpoint my most embarrassing moment ever because I’ve probably blocked out a lot of middle school, where embarrassment breeds. Of course, I’ve already written about when I got the “Best Friends” award… for playing field hockey… and I had to accept it alone because my best friend skipped the freakin’ ceremony.

There was also the ski club trip in 7th grade where I completely wiped out while carrying my dinner tray in the lodge… in front of all the coolest boys. Food and drink everywhere. Me, splayed out on the floor in my full snowsuit regalia. Yes, that was a fine moment indeed.

A more recent incident happened at Chipotle a few weeks ago. As I was waiting in line, I went to grab my wallet and something fell out of my purse. The kind gentleman in front of me realized I had dropped something and bent over about halfway to picking it up… before he realized it was a tampon and promptly shot straight back up and turned around. Then we had to wait in the line together and pretend it never happened.

Though, I have to admit, my most embarrassing moment probably involved me opening my big fat mouth and promptly putting my foot in it because that, my friends, is the kind of awkward situation I truly excel at. However, I must admit that I’m kind of glad I’m so good at blocking most of these from my memory. Bad for the writing assignment, good for my sanity!

EDITED TO ADD: Oh, ohhhh, how could I possibly forget that one time, literally one of like two times, I actually fell asleep on a plane. Fell asleep on the shoulder of the giant man-stranger next to me. Open-mouthed, drooling, the works. The best part was that he didn’t shove me off of him like I would have done pretty immediately (or at least at the advent of the drooling!). So I woke up all snuggled up into his shoulder… and super confused. I am such a treat.

A Moment

Whilst washing the dishes tonight, I looked up and this was my view. Touché California, you really know how to do sunsets right!