Little Gods
The hardest part about having kids, hands down, is the way they botch up all your plans. Just a minute. It’s Lucy. She wants some scrambled eggs.
Okay. I’m back. You see there? It’s not like it was hard to make scrambled eggs. The actual event of making eggs isn’t the hard part. The hard part is the way my plan to write this blog post clashed with Lucy’s need to have scrambled eggs.
“Dad. Do fish drink water?”
“I don’t know, Jackson. Does Barack Obama like grilled cheeses?”
“Huh?”
You have to stun them. It buys you some time. Anyway, there’s something in the way the kids so suddenly intrude. It’s like POW! They’re right there. You know? It doesn’t matter what you’re doing. You might be on the phone or reading or even merely trying to finish a thought and—hold on.
“I DON’T GIVE A SHIT WHAT SHE DID! YOU CAN’T DO THAT TO YOUR SISTER’S HEAD! DO YOU WANT TO KILL YOUR SISTER?”
There’s a weird kind of psychic pain that accompanies having your plans interrupted. It’s not like having someone sit on your head. But still. It hurts. Because it’s your will. It’s like you want to do what you want to do but the kids—they destroy that. The kids destroy what you want. Just a sec—
“Excuse me what?”
“I love you, Daddy.”
“Aw, I love you too, Lucy. And guess what. I’m gonna love you even more in 10 minutes after you let me finish writing this blog post.”
See? That was sweet. It’s not like I’m saying the kids are terrible. The point I’m trying to make is subtle. Even being interrupted to be told that I’m loved is a sudden readjustment to my intentions and it’s bracing.
When you think about it, what you want could be construed as a definition of who you are. So kids are constantly messing with who you are. Jackson just knocked a glass of red juice on the carpet. Jackson just knocked a glass of red juice on the carpet. Jackson just knocked a glass of red juice on the carpet.
Shit. I have to hurry. Last night, I was reading—the kids were sleeping, but you’re still never safe—and I came across this Carl Jung quote. It really hit home, so I wanted to share it with you.
To this day God is the name by which—“I’m sure it’s important, Lucy, but I’m right in the middle of a really cool Carl Jung quote. Gimme two minutes.”—I designate all things which cross my willful path violently and recklessly, all things which upset my subjective views, plans and intentions—“I don’t care how much Tom Nook just paid you for a barred knifejaw. Just play your video game and, please, spare me the running commentary.”—and change the course of my life for better or worse.
Gods destroy what you want and mess with who you are. They do this because there’s so much more—worlds and worlds—than you and what you want. And kids are more than kids. They’re little gods. Honor them.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Reader Comments (33)
Your writing messes with who I am, too. What does that make it?
Profoundly true, and well executed.
I was just interrupted three times while trying to read your blog post.
"MOM! I"M DONE!"
"Mom, can I have a waffle?"
"Mom, I love you!"
Little Gods for sure.
wow. I needed to read this!! thank you.
Parallel universes everywhere, it seems.
I, too, was interrupted multiple times while reading this. To which I would respond with increasing agitation each time. They are messing with me. They are messing with My SELF!
And then, fianlly, I got to this part: "And kids are more than kids. They're little gods. Honor them"
Those are words that, I hope, will stick in my brain for a long time to come. Getting off this machine now. (thank you)
Loved th...shit...I'll be right back...
Shit. My dog is a little God too then.
My kids aren't here. I have a few hours to think complete thoughts and to read without interruption. And yet, while I was reading your post, right at the Jung quote, a guy rang the doorbell and tried to sell me an encyclopedia. I didn't even know people still did that. Trying to avoid interruption is really futile, I guess, but I'd much rather think of my kids as little gods than the door to door encyclopedia salesman.
I was just interrupted while writing this comment by a child's tale of her nightmare last evening. It was about a tornado interrupting a birthday party she has plans to attend on Saturday. Oh, the interruptions.
And strangely enough, K just told me her favorite iPhone app is Pocket Gods.
Despite the interruptions, this was fantastic.
I love this.
You will have a happier life if you can believe in a God. Alas, I cannot.
Uninterrupted thought processes are what I live for. I think it's a bit like sleep deprivation - constant psychic interruption drives you mad eventually. My children don't notice that they have a mad mother. All they want is a drink of milk.
Ah, yes. Despite the fact that I should be fluent in the language of interruption it still took me a minute to take the quote in. But, yes, very important. It just took me a month and a half to write a 4 thousand word story. it wouldn't come out for some reason, and then as soon as the juice would start to flow I'd get bounced on. They sense the electrical current of creative thought, I think.
But this is great. Good for Jung.
And it's not about a big man in a white beard, Juli. It's about the divine and the universe and all of that everything.
Oh yes, I giggled at this one. I don't have kids, but I do have two nieces. And not a phone conversation with my sister takes place without some version of "Girls! What am I doing right now? That's right, I'm ON THE PHONE. SO WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?!!" going on during the first 30 seconds of the call.
I have to remind myself on a daily basis of my responsibility to my children. Love, food and shelter. Anything else is just a privilege and they should be grateful for sheets...
What does that have to do with life interrupted? I have no clue. Just wanted to comment something different from everyone elses "loved it."
Little Gods explains them exactly. One of mine I feel is in kahoots with the God of the Underworld... ya know who that is...
Anyway. Awesome post.
"The point I’m trying to make is subtle"
I'm nto sure how "I don't like to be interrupted" counts as subtle. But hey, go for it.
http://www.okcupid.com/profile?u=NutellaonToast
I come here to say nasty shit because I'm smarter than everybody else. Why do people pay attention to this jerk when I'm so smart? I don't have shit to show for it so you'll just have to take my word for it. I'm smarter than you. Lonely. But smarter.
[this comment was altered by BHJ]
This? All kinds of awesome.
She came back half an hour later to say more mean things?
This post was really important to parents. It might not have been subtle, but there's a lot about parenting versus being an individual that needs saying out loud, clearly and gently, and often.
You just got to the core of how having kids changes your life. Thanks.
BWAAHAHAHAHA!
If I was asked for a single bit of advice for people about to become parents it would be, "prepare to be interrupted for the rest of your life."
Your post illustrates it beautifully, as well as gives a name to the psychic pain that accompanies having my momentum halted.
Thanks for the Jung quote. He definitely had to be talking about children.
I just wish they'd start their little goddom after 7am.
Perfection.
I heard this on the radio yesterday, and wanted to add it to the conversation. I'm sure I've made errors transposing it, for which I appologise. For me the grave internal nod I felt when reminded by your post to be more generous is complimented by this reminder to recognize my son's generosity.
Children's Voices at Breakfast
The boy has silver hair,
Blue eyes and freckles.
He draws cartoons
Of men with muscles
Like mountains.
He watches t.v.
And thinks we go on and on forever
As he says
Until we land up in Heaven or Hell.
The girl listens
With her dark eyes.
The tea's brown tongue is licking
Out the cup
She says
As if to nobody.
When you fold your memories
In the map
Of all the moments you have ever had
The cup is stillness on your lips.
The words of children never counted much.
We shut them out.
Yet it's for you alone
They give their silence up
To show you something you will
Never have again.
Dennis Casling
This weblog is being featured on Five Star Friday!
http://www.schmutzie.com/fivestarfriday/2010/7/20/five-star-fridays-112th-edition-on-a-tuesday-is-brought-to-y.html
Oh, glory! John E. Simpson of "Running After My Hat" sent me. I will be back, and often.
I don't know, I think you should pay attention to Tom Nook, he's a fucking crook. He's always giving me horrible sell back rates for shit. But as for the rest of it, right on!
"You have to stun them."
Awesome.
it is this , yes.
and I know I wouldn't want it any other way.
I just need reminding ,
like
every day.
Corey likes this.
Oh yeah. I felt that one. Been a stay-at-home mom for so long (kids span a lot of years) and am so used to interruptions that now when the kids aren't around, I actually interrupt myself!!!! Aaaack! I suffer from child induced ADD.