Getting back to the root of blogging with uninterrupted, narcissistic rambling.
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I can’t focus today. I can’t keep my mind on one single thing. My eyes dart over my to-do list, but I do nothing. I try to be patient with Waylon, but I’m already so impatient with myself that I turn into the white witch when he throws his Cheerios all over the floor and throws a fit over NO MORE COOKIES. (Seriously though, no more. Austin, I’m looking at you. Fig Newtons are cookies and this kid is turning into a cookie hoarder).
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As I get older, I find myself having thicker skin on some things and on others, I’ve grown weary. Has this happened to you? For example, I don’t get nearly as worked up over things like presidential debates like I used to. In fact, the whole thing is laughable, two grown men promising treats if you pick their team. Please. I believe in voting as much as the next American, but let’s be real. If you want women to stop having abortions, volunteer at a women’s shelter and start mentoring young girls on how to protect themselves. If you want to keep traditional marriage, stop getting divorced. If you want change, start changing. Lead by example. Posting a picture on Facebook with a catchy one-liner is not going to reform healthcare.
I guess that wasn’t a great example of thick skin. Maybe my skin is just getting thinner, which isn’t great. The only good thing about that sentence is the word “thin.”
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In other news, my skin is also getting thinner lately with the constant misuse of the phrase “I don’t have time.” Nine times out of ten, the correct sentence would be “I don’t want to make time.”
For example, I could say, “I don’t have time to knit this weekend” because that’s true, I’m really busy this weekend. I’m traveling, I’m attending a wedding, I’m visiting with friends. But just generally saying “I don’t have time to knit” is absolutely not true. I simply don’t want to make time to knit. The same goes with “I would write more letters” or “I would exercise” or “I would hang out with Sally” if it weren’t for time. That’s not true. You would hang out with Sally and having a knitting party if you really wanted to.
When someone tells me they would blog but they don’t have time, I have to repress the urge to roll my eyes. I don’t have time either, but I make time. I make time for what’s important to me, just as we all do. We make time for the things we actually want to do and that’s the truth of it.
Obviously this does not apply to single moms or someone in, say, the military. You probably don’t have time.
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I’ve been distracted this week, unable to sufficiently piece together things that I want to write about. It’s normal, just frustrating when things are swimming around in your brain but not sitting still long enough to copy it down.
I was just going to throw in the towel and skip writing this week when I came across one of my favorite quotes, scribbled down in the back of my most tattered notebook, from Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal Dreams. She writes, “The truth needs so little rehearsal.”
Sometimes it’s as simple as that.
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I love this post. The whole time rant—AMEN, SISTER—and the quote at the end. I feel encouraged. (And yes, I’m reading YOUR post because I’m indulging in my favorite procrastination techniques, not sure what/how to write MY post.)
I read somewhere (Cup of Jo, I think?) that instead of saying “I don’t have time for x”, you should say (even if just to yourself), “X is not a priority”. Because it’s true. We could all make time for lots of things, but we choose not to. Being a bit more honest in how you phrase it can go along way toward realizing what you really WANT to do.
I never comment, but this struck a chord with me. I really need to be better about really doing the things that I want to do, instead of making excuses.
I love that. I’m going to start saying that. “X is not a priority.” Got it.
Thanks for sharing!
“i don’t have time”—I could poke my eyeballs out. Puuuhhhleasseeee. That’s all I have to say ’bout that. pffft.
What is it with dad’s and “junk food”? (I use that term loosely because I’m a health food freak, at least when it comes to Olivia) “Oh hey check out this huge tub of animal crackers I bought at Costco”. FYI: Those are cookies, lets not pretend otherwise.
haha EXACTLY.
Oh Barbara, I have never read a bad book by her. I wish she had more “time” to write more books.
Seriously.
i love political FB stuff. interacting with my friends who are also watching the debates is fun for me. for me, that’s what those posts are all about — interaction/discussion/finding news stories you might not see otherwise/and comedy. I would be surprised if people out there thought FB posts would initiate cultural/socio-economic changes.
most of my FB stuff is actually with my local friends, interestingly enough. We all have kids, full time jobs, working partners, so getting together doesn’t happen as often as we’d like. We “got together” last night and this morning, and had a fantastic time joking around. I figure if it bothers other people, that’s what the hide or defriend function is for.
Each to their own!
i love fig newtons. used to break them, then stick them back together and ask my parents over and over if the cookie was broken or in one piece. not in the least bit annoying. ;)
I sat on a friend’s fig bars in college. It was supposed to be a joke. She got so angry.
Social media is definitely a great way to discuss current events. I guess I’ve just seen one too many ignorant rants/posts so I’ve shut them all out.
OK, I love this post! First things first, lets have a knitting party. And yes, not having time versus not making time is an excellent point. Although at some point, you run out of time. But then you drop the things that are less important. Like laundry. AMEN on the debate issues. Although I do still enjoy watching and (occassionally) yelling at the TV. Because sometimes that just needs to be done.
Definitely.
2nd paragraph = clutch. You nailed it, KB.
I can’t get that BK quote out of my head.
Me either.