August 5, 2006 by Amy

Be the change

Per the comment posted to my last entry: Martino! Finally! So I was all anxious to read your new blog, only to realize that you didn’t really write anything so much as fill out a giant survey that asked questions that I already know the answer to. You have one entry posted. One. C’mon, son, you’re gonna have to do better than that. Anyway, I’ve updated your link and added a couple others. I know, I know. It’s a shock that I do, indeed, have friends. One last request to Marty The Party (which is such a frat boy name): can you please archive your posts from Hanging By a Belief somewhere on your new blog? Because they are really good and I like ’em and don’t want to see them banished to a cyber wasteland.

On to my regular daily post:
Zozo and I had mommy-daughter time last night and it was delicious. We played a lot, and read some books, and snuggled. I thank God every single day for her. She is truly a blessing to me and I am so, so grateful to have her. Even when she’s poopy.

Finished reading The Dress Lodger, which is an excellent book. I highly recommend it. It is one of those books that causes you to lose sleep because you just don’t want to put it down and so you stay up reading it and then at 1 a.m. you’re going, “Holy shit, I have to go to work tomorrow.” or “Crap, I have to present at the staff meeting at 8 and shouldn’t have bags the size of Manhattan under my eyes.” So, while it was a great book, I’m rather glad I’m done with it so I can go back to sawing logs at 9:30 p.m. having just drifted off to The 12-Hour MBA.

M went to the game last night with Dad Z, and they brought home a stinker. Sounds like they had a good time, though, and the night was beautiful, so it wasn’t a waste by any means. I vacuumed, picked up around the house, and loaded the dishwasher while they were gone (after Zozo went down), so I’m not feeling guilty for sitting here typing whilst M is out working. Well, maybe just a little. No, wait, he’s working on his Christmas project right now, that’s right. So yeah, now I really don’t feel guilty.

Plans for today: continue working in the basement (I got a good 45 minutes in before getting bored and drifting up here to check my mail), have fun with Zozo, and maybe later take her to the park. M’s workin’ on his project a bit today (inside and out), and cutting the grass. Sounds like a lovely day to just sorta catch up on some stuff and play with the baby.

When I was little, I used to dream about being someone famous. About making a real difference in the world. Being an astronaut, or a writer, or a politician. Being a marketing director at a spa wouldn’t have really tripped my trigger. But now, living my life and loving it, I see that to make a real difference in the world you don’t have to be famous or rich. You just make an impact on those around you and that’s the difference you make. It ripples out like a pebble tossed in a pond. So, my “grown up” goal is to just be the best person I can be. Taking time to play with my daughter is the most important thing I can do in the world, because then she’ll have a strong foundation and someday she’ll grow up to make a difference in our world. I think it was Gandhi who said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” That’s one of my most favorite quotes ever.

Okay, I have a giant pile of papers sitting in front of me, teetering on the Epson 2200 that has lain dormant for far too many months (I actually have a list of prints I owe people…sorry to ya’all!), and the pile is staring at me and calling my name, “Aiiiiim, come sort through me…I bet there’s a lot you can throw away or recycle!” Am so in purge mode these days it’ll be a miracle if we have furniture left to sit on by the time I get done.