Stephanie Howell blogged about how one of her friends talked about women scrapbookers in the industry being obligated to make their lives look perfect. Stephanie's opinion? And I quote: "a resounding no." Thank goodness! That would rank right up there with the false idea that all American women are a size zero. (For crying out loud! They didn't even HAVE a size zero when I was younger! And by the way, I really resent going into a store and seeing size 10 or size 12 clothes tucked and pinned to make them fit the size 2 mannequin - why not use real size mannequins??? Okay, I'm off my soapbox!)
I'd love to live in a neat, clean house. But I like "stuff." I have a lot of "stuff." And my "stuff" is all over my house. And I don't make a boatload of money so I can't afford to spend any of it on a maid. (Sure, if I didn't buy clothes and scrapping stuff, I could pay to have a maid... hmmm... hold on, I'll be right back! Gotta check my finances... Yea, I could afford one, but dear hubby doesn't want one!)
I admit that, right now, right this minute, if I could, I'd chuck it all and start from scratch, get a smaller house, choose light, airy colors, keep a LOT fewer tchotchkes around the house, hang more pictures on the walls, and JUST.HAVE.LESS.STUFF. But my house isn't there (yet). And I don't clean my house all the time.
We have two. Houses. I leave Friday night to go to the lake house, which is actually a little better simply 'cause we're not there all the time (but I DO need to clean off my island and my dining room table up there). We leave before 7am to go to work, five days a week, and get home 12 hours later. When exactly, after a full day at work, am I supposed to cook, clean, vaccuum, wash, dust, sort, put away? Deep down inside, yea, I want a neat, clean house. But if it looks a little lived in, perhaps a little messier than it should, I figure (1) I don't have bugs, it's just a bit messy and dusty, and (2) if you're coming over to visit, you're coming to see me or my husband, not a neat and clean house. Deal with it!
Here's my version of the "not perfect me":
- I'm NOT perfect
- If I can be 1/2 the mom my mother was, I'm already WAY ahead of the game
- I am a terrible housekeeper
- My husband does the laundry
- I don't cook very well
- I don't want to be perfect
- I wear the same clothes all the time even though I have quite a few more
- I spend too much money on books and scrapping supplies
- Yet I don't scrap as much as I'd like (it's all at the lake so I have only the weekends to do it)
- I can't remember the last time I dusted
- I missed my best neighbor friend's birthday
- We eat out several times a week 'cause I don't cook
- I really want to throw away everything I own and start over
- I have too much stuff
- I am not the best wife I can be (although I beat the first one, hands down!)
- My husband does all the gardening
- I need to lose weight
- I need to save more money
- I should bring my breakfast and lunch to work, and just treat myself once a week
- I should pray more
- I should gossip less
- I need to exercise more (Who am I kidding? I need to exercise - period)
- I have really strong opinions
- I'd rather read than do anything else
- I also like to play on the computer and watch TV
- I waste a lot of time at work on the computer
And then there's...
- I'm a decent daughter, sister, wife, aunt - even though I could do better
- I believe in God and go to church each week and try to live a good, honest life
- Although I'm not as smart as I used to be, I think I do okay (I try to live by my dad's "Use it or lose it" manifesto!)
- I care
- I am a loving mom
- I'm a good friend
- I have really strong opinions
I started to do the "good" list and I had trouble; I'm not big on tooting my own horn. But I do know that although I'm far from perfect, I'm not going to H-E-DOUBLE-HOCKEYSTICKS, either. I am a good person, with a big heart, and I would do almost anything for my family and friends (I draw the line at anything illegal!). But perfect? Huh-uh. Not so much.
And that's OKAY.
4 comments:
Thumbs up to you.
Like the blog's new look, too.
Anita
Ooh, I like the swirly new look, too! I'd have thought you'd pick a purple background, so I'm delighted to see the bright, cheery, popping yellow.
And it's just about being the best you that you can be.
The bright side of middle age--who cares what anyone else thinks? If you ever did feel peer pressure, that disappears. If you never felt peer pressure (like me), you just become more centered.
OMG I'd take the maid!
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