268. Believe

So my 7-year-old son announces at the breakfast table, "There's no such thing as Santa."  As you can imagine, this catches the 4-year-old's attention pretty quickly.  "WHAT?" says the 4-year-old.

I grab Tall by his sleeve and yank him out of the room.  (Okay, maybe not my proudest Parenting Moment.)  "Tall, who told you that?" I demand. 

"Older kids on the bus," he confesses timidly.  Those damn Older Kids.  Always ruining everything for everyone else. 

"Well, then I guess Santa doesn't come to their house," I say, channeling my mother or Bing Crosby or Carol Brady or someone-who-knows-how-to-handle-dissension. 

In the next few seconds, all the childhood myths cloud my brain:  Easter Bunny, Leprechauns, Tooth Fairy.  We tell our children to believe in Santa Claus and they do.  They trust us.  Until one day, the fable explodes, and then they say: 

"Mommy?  Does God exist?"

MOV  
("Mashing Our Values")      

96. The Meaning Of Life

Today’s essay is a bit on the heavy side. I will touch on some loaded topics that have a huge impact on our society as a whole. Specifically, I will explore the idea that although we as Americans are continually "chasing the dream", we maintain a certain emptiness that pervades our very essence: we are truly Missing Something.

I will discuss the following as it relates to this emptiness and void we all feel: materialism/false illusions; are we better off alone or with our “Soul Mate”; omnipresence of personal hatred/ lack of tolerance; attempting to escape everyday responsibilities; repercussions of credit card debt/ fiscal irresponsibility; obsession with finances; illogical belief that we are self-contained; focusing on appearances; existentialism; belief in God/religion overall; politics/personal responsibility; sticky topic of renewed focus on the outdoors/environment; unconscionable waste/improper disposal of waste; education (and necessity of); aging in America; attention to "green" issues; relevance of transportation; the decline of literature/rise of illiteracy; celebrity-worship/pop culture; the importance of work.

After much soul-searching and deliberation, I’ve taken a “personal inventory” of sorts and come to the overwhelming conclusion that certain things are, indeed, missing from my life. I turn to you, my virtual community, to reveal from the deep deep recesses of my mind, exactly What Is Missing:

• My hand-embroidered star-fish sweater made from the really soft material (possibly a cashmere/ cotton blend) that I wore in all those photos from 1993—95
• A good 20% (if not more) of my single socks—useless without their mates
• All my favorite pens (it should be noted that The Husband’s pens are omnipresent; it should also be noted that I personally hate this kind because they leak and I cannot tolerate having these leaky pens in the house)
• That book on Hawaii vacations (I could use an escape!)
• My latest American Express statement (could be in other purse?)
• My Barnes & Noble gift card with a remaining balance of $17.22 (not enough to break me, but enough to still obsess over)
• The Tupperware container with the blue lid (sandwich size)
• That bracelet with the blue stones that appear to be "sapphires" but are fake; was a gift and I originally thought it was ugly but now that it’s missing I recall it fondly and do want it back after all—God, I miss that bracelet! (as an aside, The Husband tells me that bracelet never existed and that I just made it up)
• Red and white “Vote Ross Perot: You Personally Can Make A Difference” collector’s magnet
• Free self-stick address label stickers from Sierra Club (came with magazine renewal form)
• Sterling silver spoon (I think it went down the garbage disposal and got mangled and The Husband might possibly have thrown it away)
• My high school transcripts (Yeah, I'm 40, I really need those now)
• My younger son's bright green baseball hat with the picture of an owl on it
• My older son’s Batman motorcycle toy
• The latest People magazine with Julia Roberts on the cover (*note to The Husband: if you took it to work, I was not finished with it yet)

Yes, every day I take time to reflect and examine all the things that are lacking in my life. I do my best to contend with these (and other) weighty issues. It’s a wonder I get anything done around here.

MOV
(“Maelstrom Occurs Virtually”)