Friday, June 05, 2009

Deep Thoughts

I'd just like to say that looking after one child is much easier, less stressful and much less crazy making than looking after two. Especially when the one you are looking after is your ten month old who is pretty content to just hang out and chew on Little People. Of course as I type that she is extremely interested in the power bar.

Miss A is at daycare today and not a day too soon. It's been a LONG couple of weeks what with her having Fifths Disease and it making her temporarily insane. Sheesh. That kid is going to KILL me with the stress. She has been better the last few days and I've been bribing good behavior out of her with threats of not taking her to the SUMMER FAIR if she is not obedient. Due to her dare devilish and extrovert nature she loves the fair what with the rides and the people so she has quickly shaped up any crying, whining or general bullsh!t when I remind her that only well behaved little girls get to go. This morning she woke up and said "Good Morning Mama! Is it Fair Day today?" Which reminds me of last night at bedtime. We were going through our usual routine and when I began to say our goodnight prayer she stopped me and told me she wanted to pray - "Dear Jesus, Don't worry about me. I'm not going to do anyfing bad." I barely held it together and it didn't occur at the time but I'm thinking that prayer was directly related to this fair business.

Anyway, today while driving home from running a few errands with only ONE CHILD! I happened to notice these guys in the air. I've never been to an air show before but I found myself compelled to pull over and watch a while. It turns out they're doing a show on the 11th and I guess they were practicing? In any case as I watched them with wonder I thought to myself - That is their job. To fly an aircraft around in dangerous proximity to other aircrafts performing amazing stunts thousands of feet in the air. That is what they are doing right now. And I am driving home from WalMart.

I had a similar experience early on in my career as a hairstylist. I was working at my first job in a salon which was located downtown and very near a strip club. Frequently employees from the club came into our salon to use the tanning bed, buy hairspray, inquire about hair extensions but I had never had any of them actually book an appointment for a haircut until one day. You may wonder how I knew their occupation without them having to tell me and all I can say is that after a while, you just know, you know? Anyway, this girl came in and asked if I could trim her bangs. I think I was busy with a client at that time so I had to book her in for a little later in the day. When I gave her the time of a possible appointment she said "Oh, it'll have to be later, I'll be on stage then." I probably smiled at her like an idiot, trying to look like it was no big deal and booked her in for a later appointment. Later on that day I was sitting at the front desk and realized, that that girl was on stage right then. Taking her clothes off while people watched. That was her job. And I was sitting there at the same time, doing a very different job indeed. I couldn't stop thinking about it. When she came in for her appointment I kept thinking, you were just on stage, stripping. It just blew my mind. I have no idea what we talked about during that very short appointment but I do remember thinking that she was very nice. And that she didn't seem so different from me. And I wondered how we both ended up doing such different things in our lives.

I have no interest in being a stripper or a Snowbird I just find it incredibly interesting in those moments when you are smacked in the face with how different your life is from someone else's.

In case you've never been to an airshow either this is a larger and more intimate taste of what I only glimpsed today. It may not seem that impressive unless you consider the difficultly involved in flying aircrafts that closely to one another. I for one, cannot imagine having the ability to fly an aircraft at all even in a totally empty sky. Scares the snot out of me actually. I thought of you AM when I picked this video because of the soundtrack.

3 comments:

mamadari said...

Hey Dawn, I found your blog very intersting today as my brother-in-law is #4 with the Thunderbirds. You are so right in the danger these individuals deal with each and everyday, to make super shows for us!

elizasmom said...

Ooooh, good soundtrack indeed! Liked this post — and I know what you mean. To think about not only the difference but the fact that the stuff about their jobs that scares the snot out of me is mindblowing. So many jobs are like that, though — I would be terrified to cut someone else's hair, just to use an example that's close to hand ;-)
What if I screwed up?!
I'm glad Miss A is better and looking forward to the fair!

Anonymous said...

In the USA, we have the Blue Angels who perform similar amazing stunts. They come to our city every other year and they are so exciting to watch. I can't imagine to stay so focused for such a length of time. I am always very scared but also very happy to see them. The music is great. So mother, so daughter!

Elizasmom's mom