Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Questions I Ask Myself

"I want to ask big questions." ... "There aren't any answers." ... "Questions I have to ask myself." ... "Always the best kind"

--- Oliver's Travels

Here are some of mine:

1. Why am I so much more likely to agree with parenting and other habits of Catholic mom bloggers, as opposed to Protestant ones, when I am neither? Seriously, I read blogs like Danielle Bean, Jennifer Fulwiler, Bonnie Blue House and Testosterhome, and I think "wow, I should have had more children - this is great!" And then I read blogs where mothers refuse to recognize an autistic child right in front of them and then proceed to mock her on their blog, or mothers who force their pre-schoolers to practice sitting without distractions for 30 minutes every day, and I realize that if I'd read stuff like that before I had kids, I'd probably have six dogs and no children right now.

2. Why do my children refuse to speak any of their newly-learned Chinese to me, but will sing it upstairs to one another while playing? Do they think they're developing a secret language? 'Cause if they do, I want them to know: I can buy Rosetta Stone and learn too, okay?

3. This is one that really has no answer: why can't one school be perfect for my kids? Not that I'm unhappy with our public school: we're not going anywhere! But One received an (inarticulate but undeniable) death threat today from his 10 year old classmate. One's teacher and the school principal and social worker are all involved to solve the problem, which is very reassuring and speaks well of the school. But, but, but .... how awful!

4. Why do so many women delude themselves into thinking that divorce is a great idea? I've been reading Ann Althouse's post (and the comments thereon) about this Motherlode post and thinking about the foolish, navel-gazing Elizabeth Gilbert and her dreadful, awful Eat Pray Love, and I just wonder: why are women so eager to blame the men in their lives for what they think they're missing? Why not blame the weather, or their jobs, or their lack of a wardrobe other women can envy? Because they've been "taught" that, as Ann says, "Women, good. Men, bad." Sad: life-ruiningly sad.

5. How can millions of women listen to Beth Moore? I can't get beyond her awful voice. Isn't that mean of me? And Lost? I never watched it. Does that make me odd? I know other things do, but that in particular?

I know: terribly serious questions, all of them. But I'm trying to avoid eating something sweet and bad for me, so I'd blog about a hernia right now (if I had one). G'night.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

May I call you 'Sister'?

Do you know enough about this platform to know - can someone call up a page that lists all my comments on this platform? My inquiring mind wants to know.

No. 4 reminded me - I went back into my tweets to get this link for you - http://networkedblogs.com/7Bfy9

My tweet: A movie that doesn't emphasize "Eat" but pray & love. Pray it comes to our theaters!

No. 3 is truly awful. Garner more guardian angels, I say.

Wouldn't it be okay if your children could talk and you don't understand them? I mean, won't they sometimes be in places where you can't hear them?

No pressure to adopt me as a sibling. But I think we both have great minds. Barbara

Tari said...

I actually think it would be fantastic if they loved Chinese so much they made it a "secret" language. It's not as if they won't have secrets from me someday. And it gives them something to share - who knows, they may still do this when they are older, to the great annoyance of their wives. Then again, maybe their wives will be Chinese!

Sisters it is. I'm very into adoption, so it works for me. ;)

On #3, the school social worker talked to both boys today together and then talked to the offender alone for a time. I let the principal and teacher know right away yesterday afternoon, and they hopped right on it. I want my kiddo safe above all, but the boy in question is in the school through the magnet program, and I think given where he lives he NEEDS to be there. I hope this was just an inappropriate expression of frustration, the school can accept it as such, and the boy stays and flourishes. I'm praying for guardian angels for him, as well as for my own.