Saturday, June 12, 2010

Musings of the Sad Sort

Years ago I saw a car two houses down from me when I was pulling out of my driveway. I felt my spidey sense tingle, but I ignored it. My house was broken into, nothing was stolen, thanks to a neighbor calling 911 from the bushes, but some of the beautiful old wavy glass windows were shattered. Funny, that was the only thing I was mad about, since the front door was unlocked anyway and he could have just walked in instead of destroying such beauty.

Yesterday, a man walked by, I said hello and he returned the greeting. My spidey sense tingled again and I remembered the last time that I ignored it. The man just kept on looking back at the kids and I and the house. I did what I didn't do last time. I stuck around for a minute then I made the decision to go get all the valuable stuff in the house. What I came out with fit in my school backpack, with tons of room.

T was at work and the kids were already in the car, so my valuables consisted of SS cards and birth certificates, a little cash, two passports and my computer. That's it. I feel confident to say that if it weren't for comfortable seating, I would be happy to live in a bare house. Which means my attachments to "stuff" and "things" are diminishing.

I am very uncomfortable with the fact that most people couldn't say this. Go ahead and ask, without prior warning, what someone would take from their house in an emergency. Most would say kids and pets, then after a few seconds...and my grandmothers heirlooms and the photographs and my mothers china....and so on. I am not judging. I am feeling sad that there is such an importance put on stuff and things.

I read a medical journal article about how the autistic brain may actually be the evolution of humans brains. The scientist/researcher/author who wrote the article argued that because of modern modes of communication, like telephone, to some extent, email, text and IM, it is becoming unnecessary for people to be able to read and interpret un-communicated emotional expressions. Also that the part of the brain concerned with spacial reasoning is much stronger in someone on the autism spectrum. Due to the fast paced, technology driven path our lives have taken, spacial reasoning is more important for development of new products and smarter fixes for old problems.

Part of this theory makes me happy, makes me think that the kids that I work with will not be relegated to the McDonald's drive-in and the Harkins ticket counter. That "curing" them of their behaviors will not be the sought after goal, but developing their strong and smart brains will be. The other part of me is really sad to have to acknowledge that this scientist is right. There is becoming less and less of a reason to actually be face to face with fellow humankind.

After my last post about the crazy zucchs, I hit next blog, which randomly pulls up a Blogger blog. I do this once a week, at least, just to see what is out there. Today I read again and again "I am a mother/wife/single dad/what-have-you that is trying to find time to relax in my harried life." Does it really have to be this way? Is anyone willing to exchange the big house, the huge toys, the video games, the a/c, the stupid SUV's, the bonus checks and the crappy dine-out food for their life back? Why not? Has it been so ingrained that these things constitute living? Where did living not include family and friends, easy evenings on a porch swing, lemonade? When did driving faster take over pick-up front yard soccer games and homemade ice cream?

My life beyond my loves fits in a backpack. I am moving in the direction I want to. Beyond that, I want my movement to create a wake that begins to envelope all. We can only change ourselves, but hopefully we can inspire change in the world in the process. Leading by example.

1 comment:

  1. Kerri Lawrey-JonesJune 13, 2010 at 5:55 AM

    I have been thinking this very thing lately and I have a few things of sentimental value that I would stop at nothing to save.

    My photos - all of them. I do not have many, just a small tub full and a couple small photo albums, but it is all I have left of my parents.

    My computer - everything is on this thing - including pretty much every photo taken of my children in the last 5 years.

    My wedding dress - my mother picked it out just before she passed away.

    And, our personal documents. Too difficult to replace.

    I actually keep all of this strategically placed, so I can grab them in an emergency, but rely on our alarm to save our stuff in case of theft.

    It is so nice to know that there really isn't much that matters besides my family and our dog.

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