So, I have this friend who says she's had this idea forever that she'll have "made it" when she has the following three items: her own driveway, her own in-house washer and dryer, and her own KitchenAid. She now has those three things, and to tell you the truth, she does kind of feel like she's made it. Of course, she also has a husband, a house with a pool, two dogs, a business, and three children.
It got me thinking about what those magical things are that make you feel you've arrived. Do you know what yours are? It's a little hard for me to separate those particular things I believe I will someday have from those random daydreamy desires one always has... I mean, I love convertible Mustangs. Am I convinced I will one day own one? Nah. And that's ok. But you know what I want? You know when I will have arrived? When I have one of those sandwich presses, those big grills specifically for making hot-pressed panini style sandwiches. I want one of those... and a real kitchen to put it in, and a life in which I'd actually use it. (Yes, I have a George Foreman grill, yes, I can use it nearly the same way, no, please don't buy me anything. Except the Mustang, if you really want to.)
Ok, I don't *really* care about the sandwich press. I'll have made it when I have a big comfortable wonderful hammock in my backyard. I LOVE hammocks. I'll have made it when I have a rocking chair, which chair will live in the baby's room so we can sit in it when we read books before bed. Apparently I'll have arrived when I have particular things to sit on or in.
I once would have said I dreamed of having a house with a separate room for books, like a real library, instead of just shelves-in-the-office or wherever. 'Cept, I've had that once, and I don't anymore, so let's not talk about that or I might cry.
Really, let's be honest. What I want is the house, the husband, the business, the baby (though not three!), AND the chairs. I'll skip the dogs. KThanks.
9 comments:
Convertible Mustang? You should aim higher.
It took me a while to think about this "I made it" point, and I realized that, even though I can name "things" that I want, what it really matters to me is mostly the context where I want them.
ej. It is not just the rocking chair, which is something you could have TODAY!, but it is where it would be and what you will be using it for or sharing it with.
The sharing it with that someone is what makes it for me, the rest are just details. I would like to be a mother and build a home, but again not alone! And of course I would like to be physically closer to my family.
(Oops! did I just admit that?)
It's funny because Matt and I just had this conversation recently, only about what we want in life (similar to making it, I guess). Here's some of the things I want: 1. A house 2. to live somewhere that I know isn't temporary 3. people to clap for me, as in 'bravo, rachel!' not, 'ok, you just gave a presentation' 4. to be called upon as an expert for something scientific but mainstream. like nova or the NY times science section or something. Not too much to ask, right? My equivalent of your mustang is to learn to fly. like a plane, not a bird.
"Apparently I'll have arrived when I have particular things to sit on or in."
I'm trying really hard not to attach this statement to husbands and babies. Obviously, though, I'm not trying hard enough.
A dog.
The gal.
No day job.
Tuna sammiches.
I'll have made it-- and I'm serious about this-- when my house has a tower on it with round rooms that you reach via a spiral staircase,and at the top room it's mostly windows and low shelves with books, and overstuffed easy chairs and hassocks. And the time to spend up there reading.
But I like yours, too!
Hey! "Photoshop. Any edition." should go out of your list!
Yeah, for SURE I want the spiral staircase/wrap-around second-floor wall o' books things. But I was sort of thinking more about the commonplace things I can one day reasonably expect to have.
Owning a house and having a job with a retirement plan made me feel I've made it. Now I am having to find another goal to strive for, because the job and home ownership aren't terribly entertaining.
writtenwyrdd
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