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The aroma of the banana bread I am baking wafts through my house, a much needed comfort smell during a harried day of hurry-up-and-get-it-done. No unusual chores to do, only the normal laundry, grocery shopping and an early dinner cooking to accommodate tonight’s high school football game. A last minute trip to the vet because in our house, even the dog isn’t immune to the unreasonably-high seasonal allergens.
So many normalcies that I am not even sure I can reach inside of my skull and pull out something interesting to write about. Certainly my ho-hum can’t compete with the ho-hum-ness of the rest of the world.
I can tell you about last weekend when I ventured out to see a movie. By myself. A noteworthy event-I loathe going to the movies alone. My new relationship with Groupon has scored me two movie passes, so I chose a funny movie and headed out to use one. Amazing, I didn’t die and the laughs were plentiful. The other ticket is stored away to use when the next movie-trailer that tickles my fancy comes along.
Then there was Tuesday. Historically, Tuesdays are my work week Thursday-they mark one day left until my weekend work reprieve. This particular Tuesday I had a doctor’s appointment, so I squeezed in a day off work. With a big chunk of day left, I walked into a hair salon and put my head into the hands of a total stranger. “Make this mess look better” is all I could say to her, and she must have said “Abracadabra” because magic was made. I walked out taller, happier, and more confident. Amazing what a normal haircut can do.
Last night, after spending the day doing my usual Thursday, get-it-done dance, I fed the kids and drove downtown to meet some friends at Hamburger Mary’s, where I played some of the most interesting bingo ever. I let my hair down and didn’t worry about the things that needed to be done. I let my mind wander away from the must-do and let it go to the what-if-I-could-do and remembered how much more fun that can be. I went to bed a little later and woke up this morning really tired, but right at this moment, I have no regrets. Tonight I will sleep.
My week of ho-hum-ness was actually a week of replenishing my soul. Taking advantage of some free time to take care of myself, carving out some minutes to interact with others and challenging myself to do something that I am not so crazy about, these things aren’t really normal, for me. But I want them to be, because I am a constant work in progress.
Now the smell of banana bread has been replaced with tonight’s chicken Alfredo. Some of my chores are done, and a few of them may wait until tomorrow and that is okay, that is really the norm.I wear normal well.
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