Musings from Graceland

Thursday, November 05, 2009

SIXTEEN YEARS...LOOKING BACK & FORWARD

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16 years ago, I was begging for an epidural and the

reward for my true labor was a beautiful, dark-haired, blue-eyed, baby girl. She was my dream come true as all my life I had looked forward to the day that I would become a mommy.
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Today she is green-eyed, red-headed, and definitely not a baby. In fact, if you're a regular visitor to Graceland, you'll know that she even spent a whole month away from her mama in Swaziland this past summer.

In fact, I had been doing a series of Swaziland trip interviews but we got busy and have taken a lengthy hiatus. Hopefully, one of these months, we'll get back to them. For now, I'm going to interview my soon-to-be-adult on her life thus far, what's happening now, and what she thinks might happen in the future.
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So with no further dilly-dallying, let the interview begin.
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Happy Birthday, A!
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Thank you.
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What's your birthday been like so far?

Good.

What's been going on?

I got one Batman comic book and a thing of m&m's and money and a whole bunch of "Happy Birthdays" from people.

And didn't we make you a special birthday breakfast per your request?

Yep, you did. Orange danishes and sausage.

What else is planned for today?

We're going to have ramen noodles at lunch and cake and hamburgers and Oreos and French fries and corn for supper.
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What else are we doing to celebrate you turning the big, sweet 16?
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Going to New Orleans on Saturday. [Said with a big grin in her voice and on her face.]

What'cha gonna do?

Explore the French Quarter...

[Interview momentarily paused while A takes phone call from one of her Swazi trip friends.]

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Okay, so back to what you're going to do in N.O. You said you're going to explore the French Quarter....

...eat beignets at Cafe Du Monde, window shop and shop shop, take a trolley wherever we end up going, check out the Garden District (and the hot boys there, heh, heh, heh), and go to a cemetary. Maybe we'll leave [Sister B] there.

A cemetery?

Yeah, like one of those really old ones with all the cool inscriptions and statues and stuff.

Who all is going?

[Sister B], Lillie, Chandler, Megan, Madeline, and Jay, oh, and me, and Mom and Dad.

Sounds like it's going to be an awesome day.

Yes, it will be.
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So, let's do a little reflection. What was your life like 10 years ago?

Where was I living 10 years ago?
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Here.

Did I have my horse yet?

Hmmm...not sure.

Well, I was probably hoping I would get lots of horses for my 6th birthday. Bemoaning the fact that God had made me a girl and not a boy as boys had all the fun in my eyes. And reading Redwall books. I loved Redwall books.

What would you have been wearing when you were 6?

Oh gosh. Something ugly. Probably, jeans and a t-shirt with some inane printing on it. And quite possibly a cowboy hat.

Oh yeah, a cowboy hat and probably cowgirl boots.

Definitely, boots.

Okay, skip forward to 5 years ago when you were 11.

Do we really have to go over when I was 11?

That bad, huh?

I was an emo kid who didn't even know to wear the cute emo kid clothes. I just had the annoying emo kid attitude.

Alright, we'll make do with that.

Now for present. You've told us how you're celebrating your birthday. But how would you describe this past year?
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Extreme. Everything was taken to the very extreme, good and bad. Not necessarily me, but everything around me.

Care to share any highlights? Any specific changes or accomplishments or events?

Let's see. In this past year, I made some of the best friends ever that I plan on keeping for the rest of my life. I got more confidence in myself and my abilities and more trust in people around me. I learned to trust God more, too, and do what He wants even when it's really painful at the time. I also think I learned how to loosen up and be more fun and not worry about things so much. I'm really a chilled, laid-back person as compared to how I have been.
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What do you think the next year will be like?

Lots of traveling. I'm planning a trip out west where I will stay with my Grandma Chris, my friends Allie, Ray, and Lydia; go to San Francisco and hopefully see my friends Lindsay and Noelle; go to Washington, tour colleges, see my friends Rachel and Chris, and visit my Aunt Cathi. I would also like to go to Swaziland in September with my parents but I don't know if that is going to happen.

Wow! That's going to be some year. So where do you envision yourself when you celebrate your 21st birthday in 5 years?

I'm thinking probably Washington State or Colorado as those states hold the colleges I'm most interested in. But, who knows. 5 years is a while away.
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What do you think you'll be majoring in if you are in college?

Psychology, social work, and global social studies...something along those lines.

And then in 10 years?

AH! I could be married by then and have a kid! Or two!!! Or even three...gasp! I'll probably be married and have at least one kid.

Give me 5 words in closing to describe your life so far.

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Will you describe me when I'm done? I mean you don't have to but...

Okay, I will but first, the 5 words:

Only 5?

Yes.

About me?

Yes.

About your life. What 5 words would best describe your life and/or you.

Wild child. That's 2. I have 3 more.

You can count that as 1.

Oh okay. Adventurous. And....? Intense. Ready. Miss Independent.

That's you alright, Miss Independent. From the time you were old enough to wiggle off of my lap you wanted to be down and doing your own thing. The first day I dropped you off at Mommy's Morning Out I boo-hoo'ed because you were having too much fun to even take the time to say goodbye to your mommy. That's basically been your life story since. First born, smart, willing to walk your own path, strong-willed,loyal, intensely passionate, rocker chick. That's my beautiful girl.