Putting Dull on the Shelf

Anne, Bec, Me (Em), Jill, Melissa - waiting for the doors to open at the Eclipse premiere

We talk a lot around here about how to be better parents, more accomplished individuals, more resourceful, less selfish, more organized, more domestic. That's all fine and good, but today I just want to challenge us all to have and be more fun.

I've never been much of a thrill seeker, usually content with small groups and quiet amusement. My predilection for sticking close to home and keeping things low-key intensified with the addition of children. And for the icing on the boring cake, I feel like recent circumstances in our family life have put so much pressure on me that I've started retracting, not in a nervous-breakdown-induced sort of way, just in a very pensive, inward-turning way. I didn't realize how utterly beige my life had become until about two weeks ago.

Exhibit A: We went water skiing with my family last month and I just pretty much talked myself out of getting in the water. Too cold. I'll just take care of the kids. Meh, what's the big deal about a few minutes behind a boat anyway?
Some healthy peer pressure from the fam got me to jump in, get cold, and wake-board. I didn't do a single trick. My board never left the water. I just skimmed in and out of the wake, across the glassy water, but I felt like a rock star. There are certain parts of yourself that only wake up with wind in your hair, sunshine on your cheeks, and muscles at work. I felt strong and vivid. And so, so glad I'd jumped in.

Exhibit B: Anne invited me to the 12:05 a.m. Eclipse premier last Tuesday night and in a fit of indecision met with peer pressure, I said yes. You guys, I am not a Twi-hard; I haven't even read the books. And this has nothing to do with Edward or Jacob. This has everything to do with doing something out of your ordinary. To be quite frank, I thought the movie was silly - don't hate! (I was impressed with Stephanie Meyer's creativity and ok, fine - a little charmed by Edward), but that whole process of setting up our camp chairs in the parking lot of Tinseltown, waiting for three hours in a huge line of silly fans, chatting, sharing pizza and eating treats, beholding the wonder of Jill & Bec (those women are contagiously optimistic and FUN), holding my heavy eyelids open 'til 2:30 in the morning and then coming home wanting to make out with my husband after watching a teenager pledge her heart to a vampire (wha??) -- all that stuff reached down to the "fun girl" inside me and shook her out of a drooling coma. (Thanks for the invite, Anne - and for making me stay when I reeeaaalllly wanted to go home at midnight :)

I am always inclined toward the "quiet night at home" option. Always. I will never be the life of the party. And that's fine. But I need to have more fun (my mother and sisters confirmed this suspicion for me - thanks, guys :).
Life is for living. Hair needs to be let down and windblown. And sometimes Hot Tamales need to be eaten at 1:23 in the morning, sandwiched between your favorite girlfriends at the local Cinemark.

Jump in.
Make memories.
Be fun.

-Em

p.s. I'd love to know what you think about this
and where you find yourself on the fun spectrum.