Monday, March 26, 2007

Mangled Meme

Oreneta tagged me with a meme that is actually geared toward ex-pats.

Her challenge for those of us who are not ex-pats (and that would definitely be me) is to twist and bend the questions to suit our own purposes.

I’m going with the phrase, “The Past is Another Country.”

(This a title of a book by Lois Battle and also the title of a scholarly article by Luc Sante.)


Four Things You Miss About the Past

1. That sense of limitless possibilities and options for the future.

2. My children’s childhoods. I’d like to go back and visit that time. (Not do it all over again — I’d be just as tired and frantic.)

3. Good health. (In my case, relatively speaking…)

4. Sometimes (just sometimes) those days when I was carefree, independent and responsible for no one but myself — a.k.a. the amazing and arrogant self-centeredness of youth.


Three Things You Like About the Present

1. That my “journey” has taken me to a place where I like who and what I am. (90% of the time.)

2. That my husband and I are still good friends — an accomplishment in this day and age.

3. That my children are healthy, happy and (relatively) independent.


Two Things You Dislike About the Present

1. That I’m at a time in my life where illness and death are occurring amongst friends and family.

2. The state of the world vis-à-vis war, terrorism, the environment, etc. (My apologies to the next generation.)


One Thing That Has Pleasantly Surprised You About the Present

1. That I’m quite okay with aging naturally (and hopefully) gracefully!



If anyone would like to try their hand at this meme – go right ahead.

It certainly makes you think.

(Check out the original questions at Oreneta’s blog.)

12 comments:

Attila the Mom said...

2. My children’s childhoods. I’d like to go back and visit that time. (Not do it all over again — I’d be just as tired and frantic.)

I was just thinking about that the other day...remembering when the guys were so little they could both sit on my lap! :::sniff sniff::

Beth said...

attila:
But we just want to visit, right? Not do it all over again...

Anonymous said...

Yes I'd like to visit my children's childhoods again...things were frantic but simple. An icecream cone and a trip to story time at the library went a long way for making happy boys. And a happy mom.

I'd also like to visit myself as a young adult and give myself some real life advice and guidance. I thought I knew it all at 21 and was a shocked to find how much I still had to learn. It was embarrassing. At the same time I'd like my 60 year-old self to come down here from the future and give me some advice now because I still kind of feel like I am winging things.

Hmmm...food for thought.

Beth said...

trish:
Bottom line - we could do with some time travel. It sure would come in handy.

Trish Ess said...

I like your answers to this meme.. it's a good one. I don't like it enough to do it myself.. LOL... but I really do like your answers.

You know from one of my recent posts that I miss those mommy days.. but I'm kinda lookin' forward to grandmommy days. I'm gonna be a fairly young, cute gramma... as long as the Booger gets started when he's 25 or so. LOL

Beth said...

trish:
Re: the meme: "I don't like it enough to do it myself."
LOVE your honesty.
As for being a grandma - I have a 25 year old but no grand-kids on the horizon. I'm gonna be an old granny...

Angel said...

I freakin love you!!!

I love everything about you, your wit, your way with words, your wisdom.

And I would also just l ike to VISIT my kids childhoods, but not go back and do it all over again....the sleeplessness, the depression....ugh!

Undercover Mother said...

I am IN my children's childhoods and I am greedy as hell. I know how fast it's going to go, and I still have one in diapers. I'm going to miss this time, though.

Beth said...

beth: Thanks so much for all the wonderful things you said in your comment. Some days (today being one) it is so nice to hear - whether true or not...

mof3: Precious times. Keeping a blog will help you remember. I used to keep a Mother's Journal. So glad I did.

Unknown said...

I think aging gracefully should be a life goal for everybody. Fighting it just seems so stressful, and everybody loses in the end, anyway.

oreneta said...

Beth: honestly that was a lovely and thoughtful response to a silly meme. I thought you would come up with something to brighten may day, and you did.

Beth said...

dorky dad: Yeah, "The End" is going to get us all - we either get there with wrinkles and grey hair or with faces so smooth and taut we're unable to smile. I'd rather be smiling.

oreneta: And that was "a lovely and thoughtful" comment in response to my meme efforts. Thanks!