Month: January 2012

By several patients.

The day did not start out very nice.

And speaking of nice, I was trying to be too nice and a patient took advantage of that. I almost got myself into trouble because of my niceness. I’m just going to have to put my foot down and be more firm – especially when I KNOW I’m right. (I wasn’t sure if I was in the right today – turns out, I was. Lesson learned – have more faith in myself and my abilities).

Kevin left me a voicemail at work today.

“We’re going to a movie at 7:00 tonight.”

We never go to movies.

I’m way too cheap to pay the admission – I’ll just wait for the DVD to come out, thank you very much.

But it was a documentary about Ayn Rand, the author of “Atlas Shrugged.” Which I still need to read, by the way.

It was very interesting, and uncanny – the woman was definitely way before her time. It’s amazing how much she predicted is coming true now. At the risk of sounding all conspiracy theory on you guys – our government IS too big. And our government IS NOT acting in our best interest. If you think they are, then you’re naive.

That’s right, I said it.

It’s about the individual, NOT society. And it’s OKAY to live for yourself and make your life better. We do not exist to support one another, we exist to support ourselves. We may CHOOSE to help society – and many do, hence the outpouring of charitable contributions in this country, but we should never be MADE to give up something we have worked hard to achieve for ourselves and for our families.

Interesting, interesting stuff. I’m looking forward to reading “Atlas Shrugged.”

I have so many more thoughts on the documentary, but it’s been a long day; I’m tired, I’m fighting a killer headache and I haven’t even eaten dinner yet. (Actually. I think I’ll just skip it – it’s so late now).

Here’s a little something to make you think … God knows, we need more thinkers in this country. We have gotten WAY too complacent, people.

It doesn’t matter that he’s a 19-year old man, he’s still my baby driving on icy roads for the first time.

Last Tuesday, (was it last Tuesday? The days just blur together anymore), we woke up to icy roads. Actually. I didn’t even know they were icy until I got into my car and started driving … it was black ice. And it had tricked a lot of people that morning. The radio broadcast was full of accidents and the city went on emergency alert – which loosely translates to: only call the police if someone is bleeding to death or has lost a limb, otherwise, exchange insurance information and say “oops.”

I was nervous. I knew that Kevin would expect Dude to go to the office and … I wasn’t sure … if he should.

“Why don’t you just tell Dude to take the day off,” I said while twisting my fingers into fleshy corn rolls.

“Karen,” my ever-patient husband said, “he’s a 19-year old MAN. When are you going to stop babying him?”

Never.

I shrugged.

I couldn’t help it. He might “technically” be a 19-year old man, but he’s still my first born baby. I look at him and all I see is my 4 lb, 12 oz preemie. I shouldn’t, I know. But I do.

I went to work that day with my heart in my throat. He didn’t have far to drive and I KNEW that he needed to practice, after all, we can’t taxi him around every time there’s bad weather for the rest of his life … but UGH. The first time is a killer.

I worried about him all morning. Kevin did text me whenever he got to the office, so I did rest easy for a few hours. But then I started feeling queasy whenever it was time for him to pick Jazz up from school.

I don’t think he realizes how precious his cargo is whenever he’s driving.

It all worked out in the end, though I found out later that he DID slide through a stop sign near our house. But at least there wasn’t any on-coming traffic. I know I need to mentally toughen up about my boys – they’re growing up, as they SHOULD, and I just need to trust that God will take care of them whenever I’m not around.

But still. I’m DEEPLY thankful that this winter has been pretty mild … so far.