Wednesday, February 16, 2011

No One Else Can Laugh My Laugh...

Eccentric: A word I wonder if people might associate with me, if they knew even half my thoughts and habits. Egocentric: A word I would REALLY HOPE no one would ever relate to me. Concentric: A word which makes me think of ripples in a pond, which in turn reminds me that everything I do affects someone else, and I'd darn well better be nice to everyone.

I have a slight obsession with white noise. There's a machine specifically used for creating this in every bedroom in our house, and there's even have a brand I prefer (Sleepmate-- it's marketed under the name SoundScreen for offices). I've always thought it helps keep my sleeping children asleep, knowing how loud other members in this family have a tendency to be. One could accuse me of training my children to be light sleepers due to excessive use of the noise machines. I can't really defend my continual use of them... I find white noise soothing.

I love baking to a fault. At the beginning of our marriage, one day Ryan asked me (very delicately, so as not to hurt my overly-defensive self) if maybe we could start having more healthy food than dessert in the house. I may have begun cooking "real food" only to shift attention away from my true love-- sugar.

I am happy to have imparted a love for chubby baby buns to my daughter-- a love I inherited from MY mother. There is a huge part of me that understands the Duggar family and their willingness and desire to have millions of children... but, fortunately for Ryan, there's also a huge part of me which feels it's wrong to have children parent their siblings (and so it looks like we won't be trying to outdo them!). I adore my children.... sometimes like a crazy person.

I love books. I have hundreds of them-- suspense, romance, self-help, horror, fantasy, children's books and juvenile fiction-- yet have never read any of the classics-- with the exception of Oliver Twist and a couple others. This year I will read my first Austen book. I will.

I love tv. I keep up with tons of shows, and find that watching something enjoyable while folding Mt. Laundry is the only way I'll ever actually fold much of anything. Ryan mounts a shelf for me in front of the treadmill, at my eye level, in our home so I can put the laptop or dvd player on it and watch shows while running. Isn't it more interesting to, say, watch all the seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which I only allow myself to view while exercising) than stare at a blank wall?

I love to talk to people-- learn about others' lives, their likes/dislikes, how and why they do what they do, learn about how certain events have shaped them, made them who they are. I like to discover similarities in thought and shared hobbies in new friends. I love reconnecting with old friends and seeing how they remain basically the same, years after last speaking with them. There's an old song I listened to as a child, and part of it says, "No one else can laugh my laugh, 'Cause it only belongs to me..." We are all individuals and I love the fact that no two people are exactly the same. I love how each one of us is important, and how every single life on this planet has value. It's wonderful to feel that, even on our worst days, there is someone up above cherishing our unique souls.

3 comments:

The HousewifeTravels said...

Love your post. Love you too. It's good to hear from you again. I hope we get to see each other in St George! I'm just getting ready to read my first Austen. I chose Pride and Prejudice. Wanna join me?

kristen'n'thecrew said...

I totally do, but I have 1 1/2 books that I MUST read first. I'll report back to you when I read P&P! Totally will be great to see you. What day do you plan to get there?

Julie said...

I love this! I can't wait for you to dive into some classics like Austen - you'll love it! And I love hearing all about you and your quirks - like the whole white noise thing. My sis-in-law has little fans in every room for that purpose and my sister, Jeni, takes a little fan with her when we vacate together for white noise. I love baking and sharing my creations, even if they are just cookies, with other people. I think it fills my need for approval because people gush over the food and it's as if they are gushing over me because I made them. Crazy.