Monday, March 10, 2008 - 
13 comments
13 comments
This town
And one of the saddest, at least to me.
There are actually two sides of this county. One that has all of the characteristics listed above where you can walk out of your house and talk to friendly people and see lots of outside activity and the energy is AMAZING!! The other side of the county is where I live. Again all of the things listed above except for maybe the "green" part. You see in my neighborhood mom's don't work, if they do it's for some charity or for their husband's business or they are serious career women who have nannies to raise their children. In my neighborhood you have a car for the kids, a car for the dogs, a car for when it's just you and the hubby. Mom's in my side of town don't mow their own lawn, nor clean their own house. You also have a home in Tahoe, Mexico or Hawaii. Your hair and nails are done at the spa, not at Sally's nail shop. Dad's on this side of town golf, a lot. They are gone from 6am-10pm Monday through Friday. They have their own sets of cars, usually one that makes up for what they don't have. On my side of town the parties are grand and full of stuff that isn't always right.
And on my side of town there are people like me.
We have one car for everything, just one car, period. We don't own another house, we own a trailer/rv. We don't go on trips around the world, we camp, in the dirt. We don't have a cleaning lady, I run my own house cleaning business and clean other peoples homes. I do my own nails and hair. My husband doesn't buy me diamonds for my birthday, he gives me unconditional love everyday. My kids don't have everything they want, they have everything they need. We feed the homeless, gasp! We live in a beautiful, warm, loving home, it may not be filled with the best of the best, but it is full of laughter and love. We don't have a gardener, I mow the lawn and pick the weeds.
Needless to say, we don't fit in on this side of town. There are others like us here and we tend to stick together, but we are far and few between. We would LOVE to sell our house and move to the other side of town, but for more reasons than our economy, we are stuck here for a while. Someday we always dream. But for now this is our home.
How do I make it work you ask? I've always made it work my entire life. I've never been one to "follow" the popular crowd. In high school I was a bad girl, an outcast. But I was an outcast because I didn't want to force myself into the mold. I never outgrew that and I'm glad. I look at situations like this as a challenge. A challenge to make a difference to someone. For me that someone are my children. I don't want them to just fit in, I want them to find their place in this world and show other's how to do it. I want my children to be normal if you will. Normal as in not hiding behind false walls and fake dreams.
Be proud of who they are.
Be different and love themselves more because of that.
Be a triangle not a circle.
Many people on my side of town don't like me because of my desire to be different. To them I say...Step outside your self and tell me just how happy you really are.
Okay I'm off to find gas for the mower...
13 comments:
What a great post Kayce!! I suspect that you are also an awesome influence on your neighbors and you just will never know the stabilizing, grounded, effect you have on them. God might just have you 'stuck' there because he needs you there.
I think you are totally cool and so glad you are part of my blogland neighborhood!!
It has always shocked me how small people keep their notions of "success" when they have every opportunity at their fingertips to expand it. Your neighbors sound like they are lucky to have someone with a little more balance (you) in their midst!
A wonderful ode to independence, strength and true happiness.
Keep smilin!
This morning I had posted a quote that I wanted to give to you...
"Some say knowledge is power,
but that is not true.
Character is power."
-Sathya Sai Baba
Here here! And happy mowing and love and laughter and all those intangible things that make life TRULY rich!!
The key to life is wanting what you already have! You have more than most, enjoy it. People who have nothing are some of the happiest people in the world. The people who have everything, seem to be empty.
Great attitude.
I grew up in an affluent area also. We were like you.... we did not have the cars, vacation homes, the way too much. We did have our undividing attention and activity with our parents. We did not live in debt (like a lot of people who have soooo much) and there was a sense of security because of lack of debt and love.
Way to live above the norm and be your own person. You are giving your kids tools and life lessons way beyond their peers! So impressed with you!
Lisa
I would disagree with one thing you said: sounds to me as if your home IS full of the 'best of the best'.
If the world were filled with more people who aspired to fill their homes with love and laughter rather than pursuing the latest 'must have stuff' then many of our children would be a lot, lot happier.
You are living the real life! We are right there with you!
I can so relate to this...but you have the important things...
My friend and I were just talking about this! We have a neighbor with a Beautiful lawn....well he has people come and work on it....he has no desire for children........
I said well he is growing grass....we are growing children.
I like my dead grass that is all mashed by bikes in the yard. I'll miss that when my children are grown......
I grew up with everything. But I know I can't buy anything that made for me with love. I am sad for people who keep buying and buying trying to find love.
Those people in your area who don't like you are probably jealous because you've found true happiness in something other than their materialistic stuff that leaves them still feeling empty.
I'm so sorry to hear about Molly. We lost a favorite dog several years ago and it was like we lost a child. Molly is lucky to have a loving, caring family who only want the best for her and for Ella.
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