Three years ago, I attended a retirement party for the librarian at the school where I was a teacher. The party was held in the library. We were asked to contribute any amount of money to purchase her retirement gift -- a kit that would help her with her hobby: sCRAPbooking.
My opinion of this hobby is foundin the middle of the word: CRAP. I can't imagine spending time putting little pieces of paper that represent a theme or loved one together. I think these women have way too much time on their hands.
I retired from 31 years of teaching last May -- when my father started to wear diapers the same time my granddaughter stopped wearing them. They both came to my retirement party. I knew I wasn’t retiring, just changing careers. Now I have one precious little person to read to and to explore the park with and see the Wiggles, Nemo, Disney Princess on Ice, and Elmo. Disney stuff is such a rip off, yet it's worth it when she cries at the end of every program. I have never visited downtown Phoenix so frequently and driven the dangerous (to me) Loop 101 while singing, "Itsy-Bitsy Spider" and other songs from Toddler's Favorite CD.
My Dad and I visit the ER, LabCorp, his cardiologist and his primary care doctor. Those waiting rooms drive me nuts, so to pass the time, instead of singing Dad's favorite oldies-but-goodies tunes, we reminisce about the little town where he was born and grew up in the midwest.
Dad takes two naps, Gracie sometimes takes one. I personally need three. I do have some free days for myself, but even then I'm either doing Dad's wash or preparing his meals. I've cooked Dad's meals for many years. My mother lost her mind years ago and Dad only knew how to fry hamburgers in a skillet. I'm an only.
I pick Gracies up from preschool on Tuesdays after I've taken Dad to one of his doctors. So you can understand. If I did have more free time, I'd go hold the babies at Crisis Nursery who need rocking and lullabyes to sooth and calm them. I'd also volunteer at one of the many teen hotlines we have in our city and listen to those kids’ problems. I promise you that I'd learn how to knit sweaters using the patterens from the internet knowing a child would be warm for the winter.
But I also promise you that I will never, ever sCRAPbook. |
