Showing posts with label childhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label childhood. Show all posts

Sunday, August 8, 2010

being a grown up

Yes, I have indeed been a Neglectful Nancy to my blog this past week. My closest friends know that I sometimes stray off into my own little world, or "hermit", if you will. That's definitely been happening lately, as much as my random insularness annoys even me. I am also (deep breath!) taking a half-sketched leap into adulthood next weekend when I move into my first real rent-paying apartment and start my new job. Yay! Exciting! The problem? I'm scared. As you can see, this entry isn't really laughter-inducing, but I don't laugh when I'm scared, only when I'm nervous. Like, "on a date" nervous, not "going onstage in 30 seconds" nervous. That usually makes me nauseous. Not important to this conversation (soliloquy?), but still true. The point is: I've lived in this house my entire life. My room is exactly how I want it. I know where everything is. I have my cat. My parents and I live in symbiosis. My dad might disagree with that statement, but don't let him tell you I'm all parasite, okay?! Anyway. I know that it is time to move on, but that's never made it easier for me. I will never live across the hall from my sister again and head to her room at 3am when I've finished Harry Potter 6 and I need a hug. Look for my cat every morning in his bag and follow him around everywhere. Hear my dad snoring in the middle of the night. Or my mom (now she will probably kill me), and know that they are always down the hall when I need them. I understand that that's the way it is supposed to be. I'm excited for the future. But letting things go has never been a strong point of mine.

A couple of nights ago I ran into my first "boyfriend" (and giver of my first kiss at Tracy Forschler's pool party! Ah, 6th grade. What a time!) and his now wife outside of Portillos. They got married in January, and told me that they are expecting their first child! I couldn't believe it. It's like none of us has aged a day, and here they are, having a BABY. I have a letter in my old diary from this boy. He told me, in 6th grade, that I was pretty, that I was special because I looked past what other people thought of him, and that he loved me. In 6TH GRADE. He was, and is, a very special guy. Even then I remember thinking to myself that he would be a great father someday. I'm so happy for them. For some reason, when they told me they were expecting, it made me cry. Why would I cry? I'm not sure why that might make me so emotional. They're starting their lives. It's wonderful. I hope to be as happy as they are someday. But I get scared, and when I get scared I tend to push people away. If my fear had its way, it'd probably kidnap me and keep me in a room with a comfy couch, widescreen tv, and all the movies I could possibly wish for. I don't want to be content with that.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

a sad truth


How old is too old to go chasing after the ice cream truck? Did you know that I have bionic hearing abilities, but they only work when a nearby ice cream truck is playing its happy tune to lure me outside, like a siren on the cliffs of the sea? To ignore this call is to stomp all over my 5-year-old self's life mission--little Katie would've been outraged to know that now I do not rush out the front door as soon as I hear what could be a tinkly ice cream truck song at least 10 miles away, screaming, "ICE CREAM TRUCK!!!!!" at the top of my lungs. But I'm almost 23! What am I supposed to do, 5-year-old Katie? If you were here, we could go together! All I need is a kid that can act as a front for me. I'll pay for their ice cream, and they'll act like they're the only one that wants said ice cream. I'll chase after them yelling, "Oh good LORD! It's just the ice cream truck, slow down!" but the observant bystander will notice that I myself am not slowing down. This MAY be one of my top 5 reasons for having my own kids someday.


But, I ask you, what is the point when the ice cream truck doesn't even HAVE Super Mario Ice Cream bars (a.k.a. the world's greatest ice cream novelty creation) anymore? With its delicious cherry flavor and gumball nose. I KNEW I should've bought them in bulk when I had the chance. But mom and dad only gave me $1.50. How was I to know they'd haunt my dreams all these many years?!

So I guess this means I better keep working on my time machine.