Tomorrow I start my new job. Beware, indeed. I'm ready. I think I'm ready, anyway.
I caught a financial break today, enough to buy a decent pair of New Balance shoes for work. I was worried; you should see the horrific leather slip-ons that have been serving as footwear for the past few months, ever since the neuropathy set in. They look like bags for my feet. You know how cartoon characters sometimes have big round feet that just sort of look like loaves of bread? That's what my old shoes look like. Now at least I can look professional and still walk without crying like a little girl.
Tonight, I'm sitting in a McDonald's with wi-fi, watching Schuyler play with some kids on the giant playland Habitrail-looking thing. There's another kid here with the same name, although it's a boy and therefore almost certainly a Skyler. He's being a bit of a punkass; I can only assume that at some point this evening, the Chubbin will unleash the Silent Fists of Justice on him.
It's always interesting to watch the tiny little social dynamics that grow around Schuyler when we're out in public. Some kids will shun her, especially here in delightful North Dallas. But it's funny how many little followers she picks up. It's been this way since she was a toddler. Other kids become fascinated with her, with her boundless energy and her strange non-word speech and her purple hair. Just now she came running over to tell me something (and honestly, I had no idea what), and no fewer than four kids were hot on her heels. She's like a little guru, or an unearthly creature.
Isn't it great how kids understand non-word speech and respond to some sort of ... charisma that adults try to justify rather than allow? Of course she's got followers - she sounds like a vibrant, optimistic delight.
ReplyDeleteHappy new shoes. Happy new job. I hope you and and yours are really happy...
Yep.....blogging suits you very much.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to take in the Rob humour & the Chubbin pic's.
good luck your first day at the new job! Of course, Schuyler has followers, she's completely confidant in who she is. Oh, and the title of this made me laughed. the ides of March is my birthday and the beware of has been a running joke for years.
ReplyDeleteI think Schuyler probably has such a following because she has confidence, and she'd have confidence because she has a Daddy that knows she's a STAR!!!
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that Schulyer will have followers for years to come. She's not just different, she's INTERESTING. She's got a killer personality. Good for her.
ReplyDeleteOf course Schuyler has followers. You think we come here to read about YOU?? ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to mostly confine my online writing to my blog, at least until my book is finished.
ReplyDeleteI think that's one of the happiest sentences you've written in a while. It's just so exciting, yet subtle.
Wait. I also think
Other kids become fascinated with her, with her boundless energy and her strange non-word speech and her purple hair and her hot pink gimp tag.
is an excellent sentence. It's actually all of that and none of that, you know. Other kids love her simply because she is the COOOLEST. At age 6. She'll be Chrissie Hynde by age 16.
Best wishes for an easy transition into the new job. You'll be the best they ever saw, so no worries there. And by the way, your wedding gig photos are gorgeous. You have indeed found the secret: the best photos come before and after the "official" photos.
Kisses from Tennessee from all of us!
I knew once you tried blogging, you'd like it. It's like crack. We all sucumb at some point, you just took longer.
ReplyDeleteWhen I used to handcode, I'd update once a month, now I update at least a few times a week.
The neatest thing about kids is that they are fascinated by the simplest things and are always wanting to know more about things they don't understand. The saddest thing is that their parents usually screw them up by telling them that different is bad... stay away. Ugh. Those kids are interested in Schuyler because she's the same, yet different. And it's intriguing. Sounds like she lives each day to the fullest, and shouldn't we all do that.
the girl is GORGEOUS! love your pics!
ReplyDeleteYeah, although I'm sure that has a lot to do with how open Austin is to special needs kids, witht he Schools for the Blind and the Deaf, etc. On the other hand, when she's actually IN school, Schuyler and her fellow cyborgs are much more openly accepted since the Plano schools are very strong on integrating the kids. So it's a trade-off. I think sometimes it feels worse to me because I don't see the acceptance of the kids in school, only the general assy public.
ReplyDeleteWork is cool. I have an office! With a window! I'm writing press releases and meeting with public relations people, and I haven't had to sell a single ANdrea Bocelli CD all week. Life is good, aside fromt he commute, which is sort of grim.
Welcome back to the world of 9-5. It still sucks, but it's better than retail.
ReplyDeleteNot all kids will thinks Schuyler is to be shunned. Although some will, to be sure. There are also cool little individualists out there who will always want to be her friend. Guaranteed.