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Tuesday, June 24, 2014

The Angry Little Bird



By: Samantha S. Daviss

I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. Is all this anger and impatience really worth living your life like this? I have lived in all three of the largest cities in Texas: Houston, Austin, and Dallas; plus Baton Rouge and the Twin Cities in Minnesota. So I can say this from both sides of the fence.

Although I love the convenience of big city life with the stores, more options, and a larger variety of activities to choose from; at this point in my life I really don’t think I would change my slow-paced rural town lifestyle for anything.

Sure I get frustrated with the limited selection of places to shop and go to; but my thoughts are, head on up to that big city just north of us, get your needs met and come on home. So we did that just the other day. We went up for a quick lunch and then a day filled with entertaining the kiddos, it really was a great day.

I was on a major roadway about to cross over a major freeway in Dallas, when something odd, but not necessarily a-typical happened to my lane. At the light it was lined up directly with the double turning lane in front of me once I made it through the light, or you could jog to the right a bit and continue to stay in the lane going straight through the light, and not have to turn. In fact both of the far right lanes did this, they “juked and jived” to the right a little to accommodate the double turning lanes.

Which was no big deal, until the very impatient and uptight young lady next to me got so upset with me. I guess her steering wheel was not function properly, because she slammed on her horn not wanting to follow in her lane, she thought she could come into my lane. So I have to blame it on a faulty steering column in her vehicle; that must have been the problem.

But “bless her little heart” (and we all know what that phrase means in Texas)…the poor little thing followed me for not one, not two, but four blocks in Dallas, Texas, only to meet me at the next light; she pulled up next to me, rolled down her window, yelled at me, and showed me a really pretty manicure she must have recently had done, not on her pointer finger or her ring finger, but the one in between. So you see where I am going with this.

I started to respond to her, then I observed at her age, and I just shook my head that she was actually that wrapped up with having to chase me down and reprimand me for something I did, that was completely legal, mind you, and show me just how macho she was. I felt so sorry for her that she actually wasted her time, her energy, and got herself so worked up over something so completely trivial.

I feel like society is so completely skewed on what we need to concern ourselves with. Let’s get upset about the abused children, abused animals, wasted products, our environment…I’m not going to turn this political, but there are so many other things we can focus on. Like maybe my new friend could focus or work harder on being happier, rather than so angry. I mean seriously, she is driving around in her own car, that she is able to afford gasoline for, in a very nice part of Dallas, Texas; so let’s focus on what we have and not what we don’t have…like total and complete lane ownership on a major Dallas road.

I am pretty sure that my supposed traffic violation is not the first she has encountered in the metroplex, so does she just drive around with her manicure in the air? People just need to learn to smile a little bit more, and frown a little bit less.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Pillow Thoughts, the man’s version



By: Samantha S. Daviss

Last week I briefly touched on what rattles through a woman’s head just as she is trying to lay down and rest her weary aching bones to try and squeeze in at least six good hours of sleep. Well that “little project” prompted me to get the man’s nightly ritual of preparing their minds for a restful night’s sleep.

So here is what goes through the man’s head as he snuggles down into deep sleep for the night.......

Just in case you missed it, here it is again…a man’s thoughts before sleeping…………

Yep that’s it. That’s all they think about…NOTHING!

I would like to say all joking aside, this intrigued me into actually diving in to the man’s psyche just a little bit. So my husband and I were driving along together and I asked him, “What do you think about before you go to sleep?”

“Interesting question he said, honestly not much of anything.” So I asked, “You don’t even think about the kids, what you need to get done the next day, work, anything like that?”

“Nope, guys typically think about that way before we lay our heads down to sleep, that checklist is cleared off in our minds. I guess if I were to say we think about anything, it’s things more like the round of golf we played that day. We will replay every single stroke in our heads, trying to figure out how we could have improved our score. Or if we played cards that night with our buddies, we can and will replay every single hand trying to figure out where we went wrong, or what card we SHOULD have played. So I guess it’s a numbers thing with us, not anything we need to accomplish, just numbers.”

I couldn’t believe it was that simple. I lay in bed wondering how I am going to get it all done in the next 24 hours, and with the list I have accrued, I manage to attach about 30 more chores for myself do to. And all they are worried about or get stressed about is how they could have improved on their scores or strokes that day with their buddies.

It is absolutely amazing to me how man and woman can survive together. I always say The Big Guy knew what he was doing when he put us together, but sometimes I wonder if he was having an off day when he came to the Man should Take Woman conclusion.

The other thing that fascinates me, is when my husband and I have a disagreement. Sometimes it takes us both a little while to cool down, but once we do we have always made it a habit to sort of “rehash” our argument, to try and figure out where the major hiccup was in our lack of communication, or misunderstanding to allow the argument to progress to a whole other level. And the realization is astounding to us both.

Typically he said one thing, and I keyed in on something completely different. Or I said something, and he took it that I meant it another way. It is astounding how differently our minds function, process, and hear various things or just basically go through life. As my example of men and women falling asleep differently has proven to be true; so differently that I am not even under the covers before my husband is already in REM sleep.

We are completely different creatures, but regardless of how we maneuver through life, I know my life wouldn’t be complete without my other half.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Pillow Thoughts the Woman’s Version



By: Samantha S. Daviss

When my husband is home, we try to make a concerted effort to spend some time alone together talking about the day’s activities or events or occasions we may having coming up on the family or personal calendar. It is very difficult to keep five lives organized and to keep everyone in the loop, especially when the daddy of the house is gone about a third to half the time.

So sadly a lot of our “alone time” is spent discussing how we are going to juggle the kids, our lives, which babysitter is coming over, and basically just playing catch up on our lives.

But as a woman, our brains don’t stop there; I’ve noticed that my husband can lay his head on his pillow and be out like a light. I kind of envy him for that. To be able to just shut it off, but that is a guy thing I guess. Whereas myself, as a woman, it takes me almost an hour to shut my brain activity down.

I start replaying everything we just talked about with running the kids around and getting us to our next event. Then realizing that I don’t have enough gas in my car, so I really need to fill up first thing in the morning. But I had it on my calendar to have my car cleaned, which I do about once a millennium, judging by the “aquarium” of goldfish piled in the rubble of smashed pretzels in the carpet of my floorboard, because I don’t have enough time in my day to relinquish my car to a detail professional long enough to have my car detailed.

But then realizing that our next event involves our friends, so how embarrassing is it that they will be walking through Goldfish to be able to sit down in their seats. Oh no! The baby’s car seat got juice spilled all in it yesterday, I really need to clean that out. But “nope” I don’t have time for that because he has to get to swim lessons in the morning, right after I get gas in my car. And oh yea, maybe I could run my Dustbuster over the floor of my car…oh that’s right it doesn’t work anymore. So the next time I am near a Target or Wal-Mart I can run in and get one. But I have to plan it when the kids aren’t with me so I don’t have to unbuckle everyone and drag them in the store with me; and have to battle them all wanting a toy from the toy isle.

Toy!! Oh gosh we have two birthday parties this weekend. Wait! Were they boys, or girls, or twins, I can’t remember. I need to check my calendar to double check when and where they are taking place. 

My calendar!! Oh no… where is it? Is it in the car, my purse? I can’t remember.

Hummm I wonder if when I get a new Dustbuster if I need to get some more sheets for the baby’s new toddler bed. But it’s such a weird size they probably don’t make them in that size. And while I am in his room I really need to go through his clothes to see which ones fit and which ones don’t fit.

And speaking of clothes not fitting, I really need to get back on my “Gluten Free/Sugar Free” kick. I was doing so great with that there for a while. After all it is bikini season. That’s right… I need to return my bathing suit top that was too big, I wonder when we will be back in Dallas for me to exchange that?

Well hopefully I won’t have to make too many pool appearances any time soon. Pool! Swim lessons in the morning, where did I hang their swimsuits after today’s lessons, are they in the utility or hanging in the garage. I really need to go through their toys in the garage and get rid of some of the toys they don’t play with anymore. I wonder if my girlfriend would be interested in having another garage sale with me any time soon.

Well as I sit here and gaze lovingly at my husband who has now been asleep for an hour, I guess my pillow thoughts had better shut down for the day so I can get up, get gas, take the kids to swim, maybe get that scratch on the back of my car looked at, and then really get my day going tomorrow.

Oh to be able to shut it off and fall asleep. I guess as a mom, wife, and woman I will never be able to do that. I wonder if they have a “drug” out there for that…maybe if I thought about it long enough I could invent one in all my spare time between the kids, work, writing my book, and cleaning my car.

Whewww…just remember girls can do anything boys can do (sometimes better). Kind of scary climbing into a woman’s head, isn’t it?