5/30/13 - "Are You Ready For This"
We're in the red zone. With the due date (June 15th) just a couple of weeks away, the whistle could blow just any time now. We've got everything all ready to go here; our bags are packed; and, anxiety has rented a room in my head.
And you know what? I'm ready! I really am. With Roman, I was a just a bundle of nerves; and with DJ, I just didn't know what to expect. But this time, I'm anxious. I'm ready to get this show on the road, and I can't wait to hold this new life in my arms. I feel like everything we've done thus far is just a series of trailers and commercials until our last cast member arrives and the curtains are opened. And then, the feature presentation (please silent or turn off your cell phones) begins.
Now, I really hope I'm not putting the cart before the horse. First and foremost, I want Joanna's and Amelia's health to be all right; but, assuming that much, I want to get this party started...
Now, I'm 39-going-on-40, and sometimes I hear from friends or family that same old, song and dance, "Are you crazy? At your age, you should be moving your kids out of the house about now not making new ones!" And I hear what they're saying...
But I don't agree. If 30 is the new 20, then 40 is the new 30 and y > x / z = alpha.. i plugged in all the variables with very accurate numbers, and the result is easily that "now's the time." Everyone is different; and, I'd strongly encourage anyone to consider all the factors before proceeding; but, the bottom line is that no one should be thinking about having a child until they're done with their own childhood first. And this is different for everyone. I, personally, have always been in the back of the line when it comes to maturity. I was always the class clown in school; I spent most of my twenties clubbing or partying; and, I don't think I deserve a blue ribbon for being a responsible parent to DJ until he was about 8 (and I regret that.)
Now, my frame of mind is very different... let me explain....
Every year, during the week that follows Memorial Day, a good friend of ours, Tara, has one of the most epic parties on the planet. She has this amazing house with this amazing pool surrounded by amazing people that are drinking beer or wine or vodka... ...and every moment is just loaded with some you-don't-wanna-miss-this shenanigans.
This year, I was scheduled to work the day of the party; I still could have dropped by after I got off my shift as the party usually runs into the wee hours of the morning. But, with Joanna being pregnant in the "red zone", I figured I'd probably better play Mr. Responsible.
A couple of days before the party, a co-worker approached me and asked, "So, you going to the party?"
To which I promptly responded, "oh yeah... we'll be there."
After this person walked away, I listened to the echo of the message and realized, 'oh wait! I wasn't talking about Tara's Pool Party! I was talking about Hannah's birthday party!'
For Hannah's parents, our good friends Amy and Neil, would be throwing a party for their daughter's second birthday just a day after Tara's pool party. Joanna and I had planned on going.
Which I present as evidence to my frame of mind right now.
Tucked away off of Joppa Highway, modestly nestled on a riverside hilltop, a little piece of heaven humbly sits. Regal trees dangle tire swings from their arms and gently sway them in a spirited breeze. Jazz from a Louis Armstrong era cheerfully tickles our senses as we sip on lemonade and rock away the day on a chain swing. The children scream and laugh with the dogs, running through the sprinklers with casual abandon as their bare feet are cushioned by a soft carpet of grass. Young girls are wearing cupcake icing like lipstick and giggle when they are noticed. Driftwood artfully dots the plateau just out of the river's reach.
Joanna and I sat and watched and daydreamed while Roman joined the dance. A bountiful life in such an unexpected corner inspires an artist's hands and a writer's pen. I listened for that language-less code that children use to play and make friends, and I think I learn something that, despite the ignition of every fiber of talent that I may possess, I have no words to explain.
But the spell that these magical creatures weave over me does, in fact, give me clairvoyance enough to answer a poignant question that has relentlessly pursued me over these last nine months:
"Am I crazy?"
To which I can now answer "Are you?"
We're in the red zone. With the due date (June 15th) just a couple of weeks away, the whistle could blow just any time now. We've got everything all ready to go here; our bags are packed; and, anxiety has rented a room in my head.
And you know what? I'm ready! I really am. With Roman, I was a just a bundle of nerves; and with DJ, I just didn't know what to expect. But this time, I'm anxious. I'm ready to get this show on the road, and I can't wait to hold this new life in my arms. I feel like everything we've done thus far is just a series of trailers and commercials until our last cast member arrives and the curtains are opened. And then, the feature presentation (please silent or turn off your cell phones) begins.
Now, I really hope I'm not putting the cart before the horse. First and foremost, I want Joanna's and Amelia's health to be all right; but, assuming that much, I want to get this party started...
Now, I'm 39-going-on-40, and sometimes I hear from friends or family that same old, song and dance, "Are you crazy? At your age, you should be moving your kids out of the house about now not making new ones!" And I hear what they're saying...
But I don't agree. If 30 is the new 20, then 40 is the new 30 and y > x / z = alpha.. i plugged in all the variables with very accurate numbers, and the result is easily that "now's the time." Everyone is different; and, I'd strongly encourage anyone to consider all the factors before proceeding; but, the bottom line is that no one should be thinking about having a child until they're done with their own childhood first. And this is different for everyone. I, personally, have always been in the back of the line when it comes to maturity. I was always the class clown in school; I spent most of my twenties clubbing or partying; and, I don't think I deserve a blue ribbon for being a responsible parent to DJ until he was about 8 (and I regret that.)
Now, my frame of mind is very different... let me explain....
Every year, during the week that follows Memorial Day, a good friend of ours, Tara, has one of the most epic parties on the planet. She has this amazing house with this amazing pool surrounded by amazing people that are drinking beer or wine or vodka... ...and every moment is just loaded with some you-don't-wanna-miss-this shenanigans.
This year, I was scheduled to work the day of the party; I still could have dropped by after I got off my shift as the party usually runs into the wee hours of the morning. But, with Joanna being pregnant in the "red zone", I figured I'd probably better play Mr. Responsible.
A couple of days before the party, a co-worker approached me and asked, "So, you going to the party?"
To which I promptly responded, "oh yeah... we'll be there."
 |
| Hannah turns 2 |
Which I present as evidence to my frame of mind right now.
Tucked away off of Joppa Highway, modestly nestled on a riverside hilltop, a little piece of heaven humbly sits. Regal trees dangle tire swings from their arms and gently sway them in a spirited breeze. Jazz from a Louis Armstrong era cheerfully tickles our senses as we sip on lemonade and rock away the day on a chain swing. The children scream and laugh with the dogs, running through the sprinklers with casual abandon as their bare feet are cushioned by a soft carpet of grass. Young girls are wearing cupcake icing like lipstick and giggle when they are noticed. Driftwood artfully dots the plateau just out of the river's reach.
Joanna and I sat and watched and daydreamed while Roman joined the dance. A bountiful life in such an unexpected corner inspires an artist's hands and a writer's pen. I listened for that language-less code that children use to play and make friends, and I think I learn something that, despite the ignition of every fiber of talent that I may possess, I have no words to explain. But the spell that these magical creatures weave over me does, in fact, give me clairvoyance enough to answer a poignant question that has relentlessly pursued me over these last nine months:
"Am I crazy?"
To which I can now answer "Are you?"
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