Out of it

Do you ever feel like you are walking around in a fog?  In a world where we have incredible access to information on what’s happening in our city and world you’d think we’d constantly be in the know, right?  I have to admit, I am feeling acutely aware of just how out of touch I am.

We moved here almost two years ago (wow) and, well, I’m going to be brutally honest.  Up until about, um, let’s just say recently I could not have told you the name of our governor, which county I live in, or who my town’s mayor is (actually I still don’t know that).  And yes, I have internet access, a functioning t.v. and I’m breathing.  In the past, I not only knew the answers to these questions but had opinions about them!  Not that politics is even my thing, because it’s never been.  I simply enjoy being “in the know” and being able to add something intelligent to conversations.  So what happened?

I’ll tell you what- I went pro in motherhood.  I sort of changed from being a person who knew a little bit of something about a lot of things to a highly skilled, trained, experienced and focused professional.  Do you have questions about nursing, sleep training or potty training?  Bring it.  I have more opinions than you could ever want to hear.  Having trouble finding the right swaddle blanket, let me show you mine.  I now spend my down time reading parenting what not and the occasional People magazine that so wonderfully arrives on my doorstep each Friday afternoon.  In many ways, I’ve become what I never wanted to be.  A one hit wonder, if you will.

I love that I have put so much energy into this job of raising children, but if I am to truly excel in it I have to look beyond my front door.  I have to force myself to read about what my town council is voting on regarding education, learn and care about global needs and injustices, and know the names of my neighbors and their pets.  How sad to think that I could create a world so small for my kids in the name of being a good mom!  Being a good mom is about so much more.  It is about teaching my kids to care more about others than themselves, to not sit around waiting for others to act but to take initiative, and to raise people that are going to impact this world for good.  I want to raise peacemakers, hope bringers, and love givers.  Don’t you?  I am challenging myself to get back into the world and to rejoin society and if you will join me we could totally have a new excuse to go get coffee.  And, we might actually find things to talk about that don’t involve stool color/texture, or how two day old macaroni sounds when trampled under unsuspecting feet.  I’d love a friend to chat with, to ponder with, and to learn from so let’s do this.  

I’m off to look up the name of my mayor and decide whether or not I like him/her.  🙂