So today I jumped out of an airplane... Well, not really! I lied again. But doesn't this seem like the way this project should have begun - with some sort of grand gesture on my part?
I actually decided that my first day embracing this project should take the exact opposite approach. While I considered planning out some sort of amazing feat, I decided that it would be more useful for me to just live my life and see what happened.
You see, I'm having commitment issues with my blog today. In fact, I've considered throwing in the towel multiple times and have accessed every excuse in the book. Some of them are really good excuses, too! Like the fact that I am the mother of two children under the age of two... And the fact that I am halfway through my maternity leave and very soon I will also have to run my private psychotherapy business in addition to parenting said children... And the fact that being self-employed and on maternity leave in this country means that we have no money to speak of to try new things with... So day two ended up being a test to see about the viability of this project. If I could sometimes find novel experiences in a typical boring day, then my chances of success would be multiplied exponentially. Would enough opportunities for novelty present themselves in my normal, quite mundane day-to-day life?
So off I went, going through the motions of my normal routines and waiting to see what, if anything, would happen. My first novel experience of the day was having to stop at a local train crossing for the first time that I can remember. It's possible that I've had to stop before. Probable, even. However, this time I had my 23-month-old son in the car with me and he was enthralled.
Having children allows you to look at things with new eyes. This is one of the things I love most about being a mother. The little things in life that I might not even notice are brand new and exciting to my little boy. In fact, he starts out every day by running to our full length mirror, checking out whatever outfit I've dressed him in, and shouting "Wow!" If only we all felt so good while looking at ourselves in the mirror!
The Buddhists say that when we look at the world in this way, we are accessing our "beginner's mind." Having an experience while being fully present, or mindful, allows us to see everything as new and wonderful. So this time when the train went by I paid attention and rather than seeing it as an inconvenience, I was able to access my inner two-year-old. Wow!
That evening my husband and I decided to brave going out to eat with two children under the age of two. With the exception of the period of time when I went to change my daughter's diaper in the restroom and could hear my son screaming "Mum-Mum" at the top of his lungs from the other end of the restaurant, the dinner went well. This allowed me to truly enjoy novel experience number two - Butternut Squash Ravioli in a Maple Butter Sauce.
Yes, those are pears,cranberries, and walnuts sitting atop that yummy ravioli goodness! It was delicious! And I am quite certain that I have never before consumed a pasta dish that is topped with fruits rather than vegetables. Oh, the culinary wonders this project will allow me to taste!
Finally, the day ended with a family reunion... over Skype. My son is incredibly close to my mother who is currently living down south for the winter. For three weeks after the birth of our daughter, Grandma never left little Liam's side and he's missed her terribly since she's returned to her home. This was the first time I've used Skype in this capacity and it was heart warming. We're looking forward to having Grandma read him his bedtime stories sometime in the near future!
So did enough opportunities for novelty present themselves within my normal, quiet, day-to-day life? In the end, the answer was a resounding "yes!" I can't tell you that any earth-shattering, life-altering opportunities arose for me, but it wasn't as hard to find novel experiences as I had originally imagined it might be. I know that some days I'll have to identify and plan for novel activities ahead of time; some experiences I may have to start preparations for well in advance; but ocassionally, things will just happen organically.
So, in conclusion, my commitment issues have eased up a bit. There are still very real barriers to me making this relationship work, but everything worth doing is a challenge! So, while I'm not yet married to this blog, I guess at the very least we're dating exclusively and only time will tell where this relationship is headed!
I actually decided that my first day embracing this project should take the exact opposite approach. While I considered planning out some sort of amazing feat, I decided that it would be more useful for me to just live my life and see what happened.
You see, I'm having commitment issues with my blog today. In fact, I've considered throwing in the towel multiple times and have accessed every excuse in the book. Some of them are really good excuses, too! Like the fact that I am the mother of two children under the age of two... And the fact that I am halfway through my maternity leave and very soon I will also have to run my private psychotherapy business in addition to parenting said children... And the fact that being self-employed and on maternity leave in this country means that we have no money to speak of to try new things with... So day two ended up being a test to see about the viability of this project. If I could sometimes find novel experiences in a typical boring day, then my chances of success would be multiplied exponentially. Would enough opportunities for novelty present themselves in my normal, quite mundane day-to-day life?
So off I went, going through the motions of my normal routines and waiting to see what, if anything, would happen. My first novel experience of the day was having to stop at a local train crossing for the first time that I can remember. It's possible that I've had to stop before. Probable, even. However, this time I had my 23-month-old son in the car with me and he was enthralled.
The Buddhists say that when we look at the world in this way, we are accessing our "beginner's mind." Having an experience while being fully present, or mindful, allows us to see everything as new and wonderful. So this time when the train went by I paid attention and rather than seeing it as an inconvenience, I was able to access my inner two-year-old. Wow!
That evening my husband and I decided to brave going out to eat with two children under the age of two. With the exception of the period of time when I went to change my daughter's diaper in the restroom and could hear my son screaming "Mum-Mum" at the top of his lungs from the other end of the restaurant, the dinner went well. This allowed me to truly enjoy novel experience number two - Butternut Squash Ravioli in a Maple Butter Sauce.
Yes, those are pears,cranberries, and walnuts sitting atop that yummy ravioli goodness! It was delicious! And I am quite certain that I have never before consumed a pasta dish that is topped with fruits rather than vegetables. Oh, the culinary wonders this project will allow me to taste!
Finally, the day ended with a family reunion... over Skype. My son is incredibly close to my mother who is currently living down south for the winter. For three weeks after the birth of our daughter, Grandma never left little Liam's side and he's missed her terribly since she's returned to her home. This was the first time I've used Skype in this capacity and it was heart warming. We're looking forward to having Grandma read him his bedtime stories sometime in the near future!
So did enough opportunities for novelty present themselves within my normal, quiet, day-to-day life? In the end, the answer was a resounding "yes!" I can't tell you that any earth-shattering, life-altering opportunities arose for me, but it wasn't as hard to find novel experiences as I had originally imagined it might be. I know that some days I'll have to identify and plan for novel activities ahead of time; some experiences I may have to start preparations for well in advance; but ocassionally, things will just happen organically.
So, in conclusion, my commitment issues have eased up a bit. There are still very real barriers to me making this relationship work, but everything worth doing is a challenge! So, while I'm not yet married to this blog, I guess at the very least we're dating exclusively and only time will tell where this relationship is headed!
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