We had thought that our Life After Europe would be somewhat calmer than our Life Before Europe. It's not working out that way. 2008 is definitely our year for socializing.
We've discovered community. I posted some about that here. It's wonderful and we love it, but because our community is spread out all across the freaking continent and in England and Australia, being with our community has meant quite a bit of traveling. Or they come and stay with us, so it means having houseguests. One or the other, every month this year.
Can you say "Busy!"? I knew you could.
And the thing is, it's so freaking fun, we can't say no. Over the course of the last year, each of us has had weary moments where we longed for a break. And then the next invite would arrive and we'd say, "Okay, after this, we'll rest." So here we are, with 12 months of socializing under our belts.
It's not like us, in case you didn't know. It seems like only yesterday that Frank and I were wishing we had more adult friends, MJ was wishing she had more teen friends, and Chloe, well, Chloe loves being alone, so never mind her.
I have friends who are into the Law of Attraction (aka "The Secret"). For some, it means opening themselves up to pursue/receive/achieve something they want, while for others it means they can have whatever they want just by believing they will get it. I don't have enough belief in the mystical to get behind either, really—or I have too much ego to relinquish credit for anything I've achieved—and it doesn't feel like what happened here anyway.
It was more like a snowball rolled down a snowy slope. It started with an e-mail message, I think: "Let's get together." And before I knew it, we had arrived at today, with 12 straight months of unschooler gatherings under our belts.
Pretty remarkable process.
So now we're thinking, well, after New Year's we can rest.
Hey, it could happen!
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8 comments:
I'm not much of a Secret follower either, but I do think there's something to the idea of opening a door - things tend to keep getting in. :P
Glad you've been socializing crazy this year because I was happy to get a chance to meet you all, but I do wish you rest, too.
I think that by the first of the year, you will be ready for sunny So. Cal and come down our way. Annie may be with us by then and then there will be one more to introduce into the life livers paradise...
I haven't read "The Secret", but I have read some of those loopy Abraham-Hicks books about LoA, and, even though I resist the idea of a group of dead guys talking through a midddle-aged woman, she (he? they?) says a lot of things that make sense to me.
Getting out of my own way is one.
But, I tell you, I did everything I could think of to attract that house I liked in Hot Springs, and someone else still bought it. Huh.
IMO, the definitive video about "The Secret" is here.
I'm visualizing a parking space...
Just one more comment. The real law of attraction is:
F=G(m1m2/r^2)
Rest, schmest! You all still need to come to Portland! Rocky Horror Picture Show is at midnight every Sat at the theater around the corner from our house... ;)
I made peace with the Secret by thinking of it as cultivating awareness of the opportunities that exist.
We are not big socializers. But I wonder if that will change as the kids get older?
Kelly - It was fun, wasn't it? Even though you were never imaginary to me! :-)
Maybe that's the other reason for my disinterest: I don't tend to see many closed doors.
Ginger - Well, I don't know about January, but we're hoping to come to Good Vibrations, and seeing you guys is one of the big attractions.
Laura - Frank and I have been visualizing a free Prius for some time now. No luck so far.
Frank - I know, I know.
Carolyn - Dammit, Janet, why didn't you say so? MJ has been to RH up here several times; her crowd wears some pretty shocking outfits. Or pretty, shocking outfits. Either works.
I have been only once, in my youth. I wore my usual clothes but knew just enough to pass (not fall for) the virgin test.
Linda - Some people take it a lot farther than that, to the point where it seems one more religion to me. And they provide circular arguments about it not working for some people (me) because those people (I) don't expect it to work. IOW, you have to have faith. Not my strong suit.
I don't know if getting older has changed my kids' need for social time all that much. Chloe loves it about as much as she always has, which is to say she really has a good time with other people but doesn't miss it a bit if it isn't happening. And MJ has always wanted more, even when she was in school.
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