Suburban Goddess

I never thought I would meet a man who could render me speechless.

Not only does he have the ability, but he has the ability to do it quite often.

I only pray he never tells my mother his secret.

I’ve come a long way in two years. I was a poster child for Gen X; tech-savvy, self-centered & apathetic. So what if the world is suffering, what about ME?

Alexandra has opened my eyes in ways I never thought possible. Now I see suffering in places I didn’t want to look before. Now I feel something where there once was numbness. Now I look outside of myself, thank God for everything he has given me, and am starting to learn how satisfying it is to give back.

I’m actually going to vote in the coming elections.

I know that one single vote may not seem like much, but as I was watching the polls last night, I realized just how FEW people ARE voting. And maybe, just maybe, that one single vote DOES matter, because there were others like me who decided that against all odds, I should get off my butt and DO something.

I’ve complained about the state of politics for years. I’ve watched the power of whining do it’s magic. But now, I realize, that I have no right to complain about it if I didn’t at least TRY to make a difference. So when the Texas primaries roll around, I will vote.

Maybe in the future, I’ll even get involved in a campaign… that is, if I can find a politician I actually believe in. (I think I’ll be safe for a while.)

I usually try not to let Alex sleep in my bed (because I have visions of her still being there when she’s 10… and that’s just creepy…. that, and eventually I’d like to think there might actually be someone my own age sleeping with me… and that, too, would be awkward). So in an effort to maintain proper parental boundaries, I frown on the whole kid-in-the-bed thing.

But some nights, when I call “bedtime” and see that precious little pout, I know that these moments will be gone sooner than I realize, and I cave in and tuck her into my bed. It’s not like I don’t have room; it’s a king-sized bed.

(Those of you with toddlers are laughing. I know.)

So I awoke at 3am from my usual fight with insomnia, and could not go back to sleep because my precious, sweet child snores like a freight train rolling through the bedroom.

Still wouldn’t trade her for ANYTHING.

As I was walking out of work yesterday, I was having a conversation with my detective friend. I walked through the parking lot, unlocking the Jeep and throwing my purse and gym bag in the back seat before getting into the front seat, talking without paying the slightest bit of attention to my surroundings.

This is absolutely nothing new, and drives this particular detective crazy, I’m sure.

“Did you happen to look around your Jeep before you got into it?” he asked. I stopped with my key in the ignition.

“No. Do I need to?”

“I think you should.”

I laughed nervously, expecting this to be a great trick. Sure, I’ll get out, look around, and he’d start laughing at me because I fell prey to the power of suggestion. I refuse to live a life of paranoia; so I argued with him for a moment longer…

“Just get out for a minute and look around.”

“Why?”

“Just GET OUT.”

“Why?” I slowly opened the door. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

“Just GET OUT.”

I peeked around the back of the Jeep to see him standing behind it…

“How long have you been there?” I asked, turning a very bright shade of red.

“Long enough to know we really have to work on your observation skills….”

“I spent an hour on the bag last night.”

“What??”

“I said I spent an hour ON THE BAG last night. What did you think I said?”

“I thought you said you spent an hour on your BACK last night.”

“Nice.”