Settle Down and Raise A Family. You've all heard it. You've asked about an old friend and heard that they've "settled down and had kids". Now, just like most people without kids, I'd never given this phrase much thought; you accept the information you've just been given and move on. But now as I sit at my keyboard, having just finished changing the nappy of a small 2 year old reincarnation of Hong Kong Phooey, (pun intended), I think this phrase may need a little reconsideration. Because at this current moment in time, having just moved what was definitely a 10lb monstrosity that happened to have been developed by our little martial arts master, I feel somewhat less than "settled down".
In fact, surrounded by the terrorist levels of chaos that the kids leave behind at the end of a day, still trying to un-see that brown apocalypse, (a 'Crapocalypse' if you will...), I'd say that "settled down" is a flat out lie.
You'd raise an eyebrow if someone told you they were moving to Africa to live out the rest of their days peacefully as a "lion testicle flicker". You'd be dubious about a chronic vertigo sufferer who said they were looking forward to their "rewarding new career as a "bungee chord test pilot". So why not when someone says they're "settling down with a family". It's just crazy! Just because you've opted for fuel economy over punk notoriety doesn't necessarily mean that you are in for a calmer, more refined life. Life has never been more hectic, disorganised and all round perpetually moving!
But that's not to say it's a bad thing. For example in the last year we have: gotten engaged, gotten married, been involved in a court case, attended a wedding, attended a christening, gotten new jobs, watched someone's first steps, heard someone's first words, nurtured our eldest son to be second best reader in his class (97% on his recent test, got a head-teacher award and everything), watched as someone rode a bike properly for the first time, lived through our daughters first steps into womanhood ...I'd rather of been the lion testicle flicker that week... got a new niece, found out there's going to be a new nephew, watched as our daughter graduated primary school went camping for the first time... the list is endless, but it's fantastic!
A quick flick through my Facebook photo albums and I go from a few pics of nights out with friends to hundreds of whacky photos! Hundreds of smiles, of silly faces, of accidents, injuries, funny moments and of family moments...
...Tonight is the eve of the anniversary of my 22nd birthday, don't worry, I've written my will, I've split out my belongings, I've gotten my free parker pen, everything is already taken care of. Tomorrow I'll be 22, for what I'm told is the whole year, and when I get home after work... I'm heading straight out to our daughters Christmas play. She wants me there, so I'm going to be there. In fact it's more than that, I want to be there. I don't want to miss even a single moment of these little people I've come to accept aren't going away... and I prefer it this way!
So you know what, maybe I'm not out partying, getting drunk or high and doing stupid things. But I'm not settled. Instead I've decided to buck the trend.
I'm going to have an adventure and raise a family!
Now that we've reached the giddying heights of 50 views per blog (That means not just family!) I think it's time we got people involved... I'm talking comments people! Have you had a crazy year? Had to deal with a lot of crap (In one form or another...) Gotten to enjoy a Christmas play?
Let us know, you never know you might just make someone's day!
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