Hush, My Darling, No Fear, My Darling

Hush, My Darling, No Fear, My Darling

As of Wednesday last, I have taken on the cloak of the nap fairy.  I have wings and a feather wand, and I dance around in dewy, sunshiney meadows when I’m not tending to my little ones—passing my wand over their furrowed brows and wiggley bodies, working my magic to make eyelids droop and tiny mouths drop open, wet with sleepy drool.

It really seems pleasant, no?  Well, it’s not.  Not my cup of tea.  I have enough patience to fill a thimble, and after three minutes of *rubbing backs* (a.k.a. magicking), I’m ready for my lunch that’s waiting in the fridge and my hour and forty-five minutes of loud music (NOT lullabies).

But reminisce.  You were once four years old.  Once, other people were grown-ups, and you were a kid.  Think about your elementary school playground.  There are probably other kids playing on the same toys you used, swinging a jump rope in the same spot, making up childish games that you once played, believing themselves to be the first.  What can I say, it’s the Circle of Life.

Charmed, I'm sure.

“Oh, hi!  How are you?  I’m doing pretty well, I’m just staying here, working part-time at a daycare/preschool, trying to get some sub jobs.  Yeah, I’ve been trying all summer to get a teaching job, but there’s not much in the teaching market, you know?  [sophisticated laughter]  Yep, so I’m living with my mom back in the old hometown.  But I’m planning on moving to Maryland around Christmastime to live with family.  Just want to get out and…experience stuff, you know?  Well, it’s good to see you again—it’s been awhile.  All right, I’ll see you around!”

This is the five-minute, my-life-in-a-nutshell speech I have repeated countless times in the past four weeks.  I try to make it spontaneous, but it usually comes out about the same.  Also, “I went to Whitworth, in Spokane” just rolls off the tongue by now.  Except last Sunday when it came out, “I went to Spokane, in Whitworth.”  Not a huge deal, but the guy’s blank look did nothing to alleviate my eligible-male-induced fluster.  Hey, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.

So.  Here I am, embracing cyberspace, much to the disappointment of the half of me that abhors technology in all its heinous forms.  I offer no defense to that half.  Nor to you, so don’t ask.  However, I would like to challenge you, dear reader, in this and future posts: can you identify the source of any quotation I reference in my text, before you click on the link?  This for your own gratification.  Begin with the title and URL.