What a weird night!
I found myself sitting on my bed matching up my socks and pondering about my life. Weird huh? Who knew socking folding would trigger a walk through memory lane and the self discussion of why I am the way am!
I was listening to the MGMT song "Time to Pretend"; the lead song in "21", on my ipod. This got me thinking how I should purchase this movie for my Mom and Dad as I think they would really enjoy it. That thought then snowballed into the memory of how my Dad sat my brother and me down in the kitchen one night when I was in elementary school and taught us how to play 21; aka blackjack. We would sit at the table and just play for hours. I'm pretty sure I begged my Dad on occasions to play blackjack with me. Come to think of it, I am fairly certain that I played blackjack by myself quite a bit. I used to deal out four hands and then I would take turns with each hand and deciding when to stay, fold, and hit. Then I discovered solitaire and my ability to entertain myself with a deck of cards for hours on end began!
It was with that memory that came the realization that my parents have instilled in me the ability to enjoy the simple things in life. Growing up as a kid we only went on one true vacation, and the only reason we went was because my uncle was going to convention and my mom and dad were a good babysitter option for my cousins and an extra driver on the way down and back. Other than that we went on short day trips to the zoo, air force museum, Indianapolis motor speedway, Grandma's house, Grandpa and Grandma's cabin, or a local park.
More times than not we would spend weekends doing lawn work, beginning and finishing household projects, or doing chores around the house. Of course I did a bunch of kid stuff as well. I used to shoot hoops in the driveway, play with dogs, kick the soccer ball in the backyard, explore the woods, and ride my bike around the neighborhood. In the spring and cool summer nights we used to sit around camp fires on the weekends and roast marshmallows, stare at the stars, swat at the mosquitoes flying around our ears, and just talking.
Sometimes the best things in life really are free.
Who knows maybe I've been sniffing too many dryer sheets tonight!
2 comments:
You really need to cut back on using all those dryer sheets. Even if you smell good because of them.
I agree with you on the simple things in life are definitely something that you learn to appreciate more when you are older. I think it is because as we get older, and we have control to do the things we want to do that sometimes the simple things are the ones you miss most.
I assume you have seen 21. I want to know why couldn't the guy just take out student loans for medical school like the rest of the world. It was still a good movie even knowing what I know about medical school.
I really could have used that Blackjack pep talk before my trip to Vegas last week....
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