Let me join the U.S. Olympic team, the people of the United States, Bob Costas (hi Bob! <sip>), and his toupee Skippy in giving a hearty congratulations to Michael Phelps for earning the most gold medals in a single Olympic games!
Huzzah!
Wow, that was phenomenal. We were a little tense, and we weren't sure the relay team was going to be able to do it, but they all swam their hearts out and got the gold.
Ken and I were talking about how fortunate we are to have been able to watch two of the greatest athletes in history in action this year: Tiger Woods and Michael Phelps.
One of the nice things to see about Phelps is that while he is a fierce competitor, he is a true sportsman, showing grace and decency and handling all questions well. I would say that he is a great athletic ambassador for our country, and I hope everyone was able to enjoy this week of competition. It's been a lot of fun to watch, and we'll look forward to watching more next week. We've learned to switch between NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, and USA Network to catch all kinds of competitions among many different teams and nations. I've also learned to do other things while some sports are on, and reserve my glued-to-the-TV moments for certain events. I finally tore myself away today to go to the grocery store!
What a life Phelps is going to have. It's already been said that he'll be competing in London in 2012, but in the meantime, I wonder if he'll be doing endorsements and stuff like that? I hope he stays grounded.
I suppose different people define "a life" in different ways, but we find that an interest in such things as...oh, I don't know...spending time with friends and family, books, movies, music, sports, travel, politics, nature, environmental issues, the occasional gambling evening, and a concert or musical every so often makes for quite an interesting, diverse, and entertaining life. And of course, we can't forget about our J-Land friendships, which are proving to be incredibly rewarding and educational and more than we ever realized they could be!
While I don't have children of my own due to various reasons (again, the circumstances don't matter), I've managed to eke out an existence and some semblance of happiness despite that. <wink> I don't feel deprived or diminished in any way, and I have experienced no lack of fulfillment in my life. When Ken and I got married, I remember an acquaintance from another department at work congratulating me, but she didn't stop there. She went on to ask if we were going to have kids. Ken and I were 39 at that point, and had already made the decision to not start a family. When I told this woman that no, we weren't going to have kids, she actually told me that we should, and that if we didn't, we'd regret it. She persisted, and finally I laughed it off as politely as I could, but ask me how tempting it was to tell her in no uncertain terms that it was not one iota any of her business! I'll never comprehend the insensitivity and/or sheer hatefulness of someone who berates others for not having children, or who blames a miscarriage on the behavior or eating habits of the parents, or who doesn't have enough decency or enough sense to leave such delicate matters alone. You never know what has gone on with the person, or what they've experienced, and such comments are cruel, unfeeling, and downright ignorant.
I can't deny that I've made poor choices in my past, but I learned from them, and I don't regret the things that I've experienced. Indigo once wrote that boredom isn't a part of my universe. Neither is regret or bitterness. We all make choices, and I'm content with mine, as well as with the life--in all its technicolor glory--that my choices have brought me.
6 comments:
Huzzah to you :o)
The gall of someone to meddle in your life, choices...where do people get off?? Even if I "thought" something about someone (can't stop that mind from racing), I would never articulate it, especially if it is none of my business!! Your decision not to have children (for whatever reason), is truly a personal choice, and to be respected. Glen doesn't have any children, and this is truly selfish on my part, I know I am #1 in his life. My kids (grown) give us enough headaches, and he has been so good with them. Does he miss having kids? How can you know you miss something if you've never experienced it? Glen, too, no regrets or bitterness. He is happy with his choices. You and Ken have quite an interesting life..."get a life"...hmmmm, means different things to each one of us!
xoxo ~Myra
Congrats to Michaelf Phelps indeed! Yes, people can be more than judgmental and try to run your life, can't they? ~shaking head~ I have no regrets either. It's a nice way to live =)! I hope you are having a lovely weekend, honey. Hugs, Val xox
http://journals.aol.com/valphish/ThereisaSeason
http://journals.aol.com/valphish/JoyInTheRain
Boredom doesn't even come close to eclipsing your life (winks). It's amazing how some people think you can't be complete in a relationship without sharing the burden of a child...If you think about it, I would rather someone wanted the child and could provide for it than to just go with the general consensus and have them.
Paul's first wife couldn't have children so he was resigned to live a life without any. People asked us when we first got together if we planned on having children. At the time I was 38 and he was 39. We made the decision together that no we wouldn't be having any. We got a lot of flack from his family as there would be no offspring from him. He had already taken my daughter under his wing and considered her his daughter. The choice not to have children later in life was just. A child needs to have parents who can invest energy and time in them. Love is never a question. Although it was our decision I don't judge anyone who chooses to have children later in life. For us with his musical career our choice made sense.
I don't understand why people would think thier way of life would work for everyone. For each of us, the choices we make and how we live...compliment who we are. The challenge is to be ok with those choices and accepting of where we are in that life. (Hugs)Indigo
What a dumbass that woman was......the world is full of dumbasses.....goodness....people never cease to amaze me with their asinine comments to others.....if you did not have a child, well, no one has a right to ask or judge....really.....and to tell Ken to get a life would make me want to come back with "yeah, Ken may NEED A LIFE but have you looked in the mirror yet?".
Geez!
XO
Good for you. I remember someone saying to someone else that if she didn't have children her husband would leaveher. She didn't and he didn't. So there Miss Busybody.
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