It's a Mess!

Listening to talk radio I heard a man talk about how having a child turned his calm, quiet, orderly life into a life that was quite messy.  And he couldn’t be happier.  I can’t remember the examples that he gave but they were along the lines of pre- child he could read the newspaper at leisure on a Sunday morning, take long bike rides with his wife at a moment’s notice, and go out to a fancy dinner without a care in the world.  He resisted having a child for years because he did not want to give up his nicely structured life for one that was (and again, these are my examples since I can’t quite remember his, but you will get the idea!) filled with cracker crumbs in the car, cartoons on the television and lots and lots of noise.  Now that he had a child however, his life was messy yes, but of course, he was thrilled with his new life.

Though his examples did not stick in my mind, the idea of choosing a messy life over a calm and orderly one made a permanent impression. I thought about the decisions we all make at one time or another.  Some of us have more children, bring a puppy or kitten into our lives (ahem!!), decide to move somewhere unknown and perhaps exotic, change jobs, etc., etc. We take our calm and orderly lives and make them messy. 

And as I think about it, a messy life means a life filled with more dimensions then ever before. New experiences to shake up our world as we know it.  Laughter, disruptions to routines, new friends, expanded horizons, unconditional love; you can pick your pleasure!

Does it always work out?  Maybe not.  But if you don’t risk, you’ll never know what you missed.  Trite but true.  Is this new way of thinking another rendition of my ongoing mid-life crisis along with my snazzy red sports car 

and brand new puppy? 

 And oh yes, becoming a cast member in Listen to Your Mother Chicago 2013?

Maybe.  But don’t stop me now, I am making a mess!  And loving it!