4th September 2007

Looking on the bright side

posted in Frustration, Sad Stories, The Move |

There haven’t been any earthquakes or volcano eruptions.

The dotter is in school.

OmegaDad likes his job.

I’ve got a job.

My ticker, though still giving me twinges now & then, is essentially healthy.

“This, too, shall pass…”

I’m not going to think about the moving van that we tried to head off at the pass this morning, because the sellers are still moving out and we can’t move our stuff in.  We’ll deal with the “missed delivery” charges later.  Surely they can’t be too huge, right?

I’m not going to think about the Great Huge Storm that hit Small Mountain University Town last weekend that swamped Small Mountain University and, incidentally, leaked through the roof in our house back in SMUT, damages unknown but requiring repair, thus eating away at our equity.  All of which we found out about this morning.

I’m not going to think about a closing date that has been moved to the 10th, and the associated pay-through-the-nose costs for staying in the Shoebox for another week.

Not any more, at least.  You aren’t hearing me sobbing or screaming, “AAAIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!“, nope.  (GrannyJ did, however.)

So, instead, I’ll think about “self-esteem” and teaching kids to sing, “I am special, I am special, yes, I am!  Yes, I am!  There is no-one like me, there is no-one like me, hmm, hmm, hmm” to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star Frére Jacques.  (I can’t remember the concluding phrase, and don’t feel like asking the dotter to sing it yet again.)  And then I’ll write about my problems with that particular approach to self-esteem tomorrow.

Lizard noted that the words didn’t scan at all with Twinkle, Twinkle.  I was puzzled, singing them over and over again–the words fit just fine!  Then I realized that I had the wrong song entirely.  Dur.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 4th, 2007 at 6:01 pm and is filed under Frustration, Sad Stories, The Move. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

There are currently 6 responses to “Looking on the bright side”

  1. 1 On September 4th, 2007, lizard said:

    that all sounds like stuff the is Good to Ignore. I have been Ignoring my car and the ever increasing car rental fees, as my car has been at the mechanic’s much more than it has been home in the last month. I am finding that ignoring the things I cannot change feels a lot like not sweating the small stuff, even when the small stuff is becoming very very expensive.

    So, ignore the roof. and the failed delivery charges. and the cost of the shoebox. In a month, you will be in your wonderful New House, decorating for Halloween, planning for fun. It will all be but an expensive and inconvenient memory.

    There are many disturbing things about that song, however, which I think deserve attention. Not the least of which is “I am special, I am special” does not in any way shape or form fit the meter of “twinkle twinkle” because it has too many syllables, though “yes I am” is fine for “little star.” It is one disturbing song.

    Right up there with every preschool on the planet useing that wretched, horrible, abomination of a song the “cleanup song” which I am told comes from the wretched, horrible abomination of a kids’ show, Barney. Bad bad bad. They do not deserve to be treated like this just becasue they are kids and people can get away with it.

  2. 2 On September 5th, 2007, Donna said:

    The song goes:
    I am special,
    I am special,
    Look at me,
    You will see,
    Someone very special,
    Someone very special,
    It is me,
    It is me.
    Jean Twenge writes about the song in her book Generation Me: Why Today’s Young People Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled–and More Miserable Than Ever Before. It’s a thought provoking, well written book if you haven’t read it; I’ve also seen Dr. Twenge speak on the subject. I’ve thought about this topic a lot and can’ wait to read your next post.

  3. 3 On September 5th, 2007, Miss Cellania said:

    That’s the spirit! The tenth will be here before you know it.

  4. 4 On September 5th, 2007, Sister Carrie said:

    That’s the spirit — just stay on the sunny side of the street.

    Is the seller not obligated to pay your delivery charges if they aren’t out by the agreed-upon date?

    I will be interested in hearing what you have to say about the “special” song. I’m also interested in reading Dr. Twenge’s book.

  5. 5 On September 5th, 2007, noreen said:

    Oh how I hope you’re in your new home soon. Having moved long-distance three times (and living with an elderly relative for one week with two very, very young children so it was sort of like living in a shoebox) you have my sympathy, concern and thoughts. BTW, you mentioned going to Hope–I have relatives there. The last time I was there you could have sat in the middle of the road for an hour and not had to get up for traffic. I understand it’s not that way anymore.

  6. 6 On September 5th, 2007, OmegaMom said:

    [...] serenaded us with the “I am Special” song while we were off on our day trip.  Since Mr. OmegaMom and I were busy [...]

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