today i thought a lot of things that seemed wise in the moment but i think it was just my brain playing tricks on the other parts of my brain, to stay motivated. one of the things i was thinking seemed really complicated but i kept stripping it down and stripping it down, in my mind, until all that was left was, basically, that the grass is always greener. which has been said before. one of the parts that got untangled and thrown out was this long train of thought about perspective and how people always look at other people and see luck or ease or whatever, but a lot of times that other person actually just works really hard and doesn't complain. not me. i work medium hard and complain a medium amount. but the people i want to be more like are the ones who work really hard and don't complain very much, because i think the complaining makes it all seem worse and the memories more stressful and i want very much to just tell everyone, yes, you're right, that sucks, and isn't life funny and you can do it and don't fret and buck up and sing a song. those are the things i am telling myself during the medium amount of time i am choosing to not complain. but it's spring now, actual spring, so i'm upping the pep talk usage and bucking up and singing a song. happy happy happy happy happy. and that isn't even forced. i feel it. happy happy happy happy happy.
april is national poetry month and i'm thinking i will feature some of the old (elementary school through college) poetry, written by myself and luke, that we found in the garage this past weekend. oh yes i will.
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and saving the best for last, the randomly selected winner of the angelpack LX is...
(imagine me rolling the bingo numbers around)
gretchen from
lifenut!
and i am emailing her to let her know this happy news now, thank you all for entering!
I can't wait to read your poetry. How fun that you found it. It sounds amazing! :)
ReplyDeleteYes I would like to be one of those work hard and not complain people too! I'm working on it, spring will help immensly :-)
ReplyDeleteIs that a current pic? I don't know why I'm always surprised Indy has nicer weather than Chicago, you don5 seem so far south :-)
oh my goodness. i was seriously having almost the same conversation with myself this morning in my bathroom. especially the part about everyone seeing certain people as having it so easy, but maybe they've working freaking HARD and that person just didn't see that part.
ReplyDeletei want you to come over at night and we can sit. and talk. and not talk. and laptop time. and browse etsy time. and you can sing a song. and i'll share random, happy happy happy thoughts with you.
okay?
Oh this is a fab post and also, Gretchen is like, my favorite. I'm so excited she won!
ReplyDeleteSteph
ps--i have a strong affinity for non-capital letters.
ReplyDeleteThere are no new thoughts---just new personal perspectives twisted in to them. So...your take on The Same Old---as long as your personal experience is central---will be mighty interesting.
ReplyDeleteNow, go write. I wanna hear more about that green grass.
i've been having these same thoughts for the past couple of days...and you've just inspired me to be more positive and complain less about my ordinary every day life. thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Erin and Angelpack! I can't wait to take Teddy for a spin in his new carrier. He loves being toted.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Gretchen!
ReplyDeleteAnd I just want to say that I love how honest you are. Sometimes I wish that I wanted to work harder but I absolutely admire those who do and can usually tell who they are pretty quickly! :)
Spring is such a relief in the MidWest. Some sunshine, a few flowers starting to bud out, and some warmth can change SO MUCH. Defrost the mind defrost the spirit, glad you're feeling chippy chipperly. I love BOTH your and Luke's poetry (from the eras I know) so I am soooo excited.
ReplyDeletei love this post erin. You have a way of saying things that we all feel but don't know how to express.
ReplyDeleteSpring is grand. :)
ReplyDeleteI hear ya girl, I do. I try really hard not to complain around people, because I don't like the idea of someone characterizing a trait they see in me as "she was a complainer." So I mostly just complain to myself (but my husband gets smacked with it now and then too).
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the poetry.
xo
your words really struck a note with me. the grass IS always greener. and i think that's something we say a lot, but rarely does it sink in and settle and permeate our mind's corners. i need to take that to heart, because lately i'm feeling like everyone else has more love, more kids, more happiness, than i do. and it's simply not true.
ReplyDeletei cannot wait to read your poetry.
what I love best about this is the tag at the end. heh heh heh... (drums fingertips together with sly grin...)
ReplyDeleteyay gretchen! that is an awesome prize.
ReplyDeletehappyhappy
"...that other person actually just works really hard and doesn't complain."
ReplyDeleteso true. much easier said than done for me!
"but the people i want to be more like are the ones who work really hard and don't complain very much,"
ReplyDeleteMe. Too. This pretty much sums up my major life goal. Work hard, don't complain.
I get there. Almost. Sometimes.
Can't wait to read your old poems.
ReplyDeleteAlso - that park looks fun. My girls would like that slide - I'm sure of it.
stephanie@metropolitanmama.net