Hyundai and Glamour Magazine, along with JuiceBoxJungle, are sponsoring me to write about a poignant parenting moment with hopes that a big A-List Hollywood star will direct it on the big screen, like this short film Kate Hudson did with Glamour Reel Moments. You can enter too at http://glamalert.com/reelmoments/ !
I've clicked over to this contest a few times. Surely, I've got a story worth writing a movie about, right? I've started and stopped filling out this contest a few times. Most of my "movie worthy" stories are all in my head, as in, they never really happened.
The bulk of my parenting experience (and related stories) involve too little sleep, a lot of mess, and some unfortunate screaming....by me.
If I can put it all together, I might submit a story about how ironic my current life would seem to my younger self. When I had my kindergarten screening, the screener told my mother I should wait another year to start kindergarten. I had just turned 5, was short, and extremely shy. She knew I could do it, so she sent me to kindergarten that year; the youngest and shortest in my class, but also the only one that could fully read, write, and do math.
By 3rd grade, the school had a meeting with my parents and discussed having me skip that year of school. My mom was concerned about what that would mean for me socially and instead decided they'd let me skip ahead in all the math and science courses, but stay with my class for everything else. Everything but art, since I took 3rd and 4th grade math and science at the same time, I got to skip Art. Wahoo! I stayed a year ahead through out my school years, and I've never developed an appreciation for art.
It was around that time that I realized I could get ahead, and I was meant to get away. I was fiercely independent and never took any money from my parents after the age of 14. I spent all my summers at math, science, or language immersion camps; paying for the camps by applying for scholarships and sponsorships. I left home the day after my 17th birthday and went to college. I became an organic chemistry teaching assistant at 18 and taught every level the school had to offer, had keys to all the buildings, and ran my own lab.
I met the President of the University during my first semester of school. I told him my plans to graduate in three years and he laughed. He shared with me the school stats; the average student took 5 years to graduate. I took it as a challenge. I finished with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry just after turning 20 years old, having only spent 3 years in college. I had job offers from my professors, the dean of biochemistry, and major pharmaceutical companies well before I even graduated.
I had it all mapped out. I would work my way up the chains of the pharmaceutical industry, eventually becoming a lobbyist and.....
Somewhere amidst it all, I met my husband, and he wanted a stay-at-home wife. BARF! I was going to be a high flying corporate executive. I was barely going to be home. Between the office and the gym, there would be no time for children.
But as is usually the story, he got his way. And the best way to get someone to do things your way is to convince them that it's their idea. Somewhere along the line, I was convinced it was a good idea. I walked away from a very high paying career (a fact that still makes my husband wince) and walked into the world of diapers, legos, and screaming.
I had big plans and quick execution. Nowadays, I take things so much slower. There's plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, smell the roses (as well as plant, prune, and tend to the roses,) and just be. My former self would be in shock. Especially at my total dependence on my husband.
To be fair, I do take things slowly, but I still do a million things at once. And I still work quickly. I couldn't be me if I didn't. But I've adjusted my goals, priorities, and plans. I no longer chase money or status. I chase health. Money has a way of finding me. Or at least my husband, and thank goodness he shares.
Ironically, my son's kindergarten screener told me he should wait to enter kindergarten. He was after all; too young, too shy, and too small. Since none of those things would change by waiting (you can't fight genetics), we sent him. And while he can read and is a whiz at math....he'd rather spend his days running through the forest and riding bike. And I'm okay with letting him blaze his own trail. I still have my daughter.... just kidding.
Just another reason to love Target - they now carry unrefined sea salt. I found it in my store at the very bottom of the salt section. The 9 oz bottle was $3 and some change, but the larger 28oz container was only $5 something. The larger size is a much better deal, but I wanted to try it out and gauge how much I'll be going through.
I absolutely said Yes.
