Monday, September 03, 2007

A Truce and Plan B


Do you scream if there is no one there to listen? I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have no audience. But today that’s how it felt as few people even came to read and there is still a goose-egg number of comments on today's earlier post.

I acknowledge that I made some home-grown rules for my Blogging practice once I had readers, especially family readers. There are so many things I would like to write right now that simply destroy those rules, so I won’t.

I’m really better now, but I have been so incredibly angry lately that I just didn’t know what to do. The family therapist thing just didn’t pan out, at least not yet.

With a lot of false starts, we have finally learned how to talk to each other in this family and no matter what the outcome, that is a big accomplishment.

It looks like my son will be heading off to Chile to teach English while he gets his law credentials in order and figures out where his career path is leading. I’m on board with this plan and have done a lot of work today contacting people I met in Chile 30 years ago who can be of invaluable assistance to him now.

Hey, this will give us a reason for a winter vacation to the far far south, an area I have been wanting to visit since I last saw it 30 years ago. Maybe it was meant to be, who knows?

9 Comments:

Blogger Mother of Invention said...

I hope this pans out for him. Maybe he needs this interlude to get his mind around his future. At least through all your contacts, you feel like you're helping this along.

12:47 PM  
Blogger GEWELS said...

How wonderful for him!
When my son was really floundering a few years back I tried hard to get him to join the Peace Corp. I think getting them out of their "safe" environment and into something that is unfamiliar and challenging may be an unbelievable character builder. And, hopefully change the way that they think about their own world.

Good for him! and good for you to be able to help him along.
Now if I can only get my son to go to Costa Rica!

1:30 PM  
Blogger Barbara said...

MOI, Gewels -- I will breathe a sigh of relief if and when we put him on a plane to somewhere to teach. Plan B seems to be changing by the moment. At some point, you need to nail down what you are doing so you can make it happen. We're not quite there yet. But everything is evolving peacefully at least!

4:52 PM  
Blogger Ruth L.~ said...

Hmmm . . . I realize I don't know any of the background story, but I recognize a family drama here, and a son in turmoil, which of course keeps the entire family in turmoil. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, and . . . it does lots of other good things as well. My best to your son.

5:24 PM  
Blogger bulletholes said...

Barb...I'm kinda prone to leavin' idiot comments so sometimes I'm better off not to comment with the first dumb idea that sprang from my head...
In fact, I'm hardly posting I'm so dumbstruck.
He'll find his way...remember...
easy does it!

6:30 PM  
Blogger Barbara said...

RuthD -- Thanks for your good wishes. I'm hopeful this chapter of our family life will have a happy ending.

Steve -- What sort of cat got your tongue? What happened to all those thoughts that used to bubble up on a daily basis? Stories of WaterBaby off at the U perhaps? Or does she keep Dad in the dark, as many of them do...

7:03 PM  
Blogger Ladrón de Basura (a.k.a. Junk Thief) said...

Chile is such an amazing, diverse country. If only Santiago weren't so polluted, I'd move there in a flash. After so many years of such tragic abuse and military dictatorship, it gives me hope for the U.S. that they elected such an amazing, progressive woman as president.

9:52 PM  
Blogger Barbara said...

Junk Thief -- When I worked in Santiago 30 years ago, it was not such a polluted place. But I recently learned about the poor air quality from a friend whose daughter has gone to school there. I can see how the mountains would just hold in the dirty air.

I love everything (else) about Chile: the people, the wine, the cuisine, the diverse land with its amazing natural resources. I can't wait to visit my son if this all happens.

11:04 PM  
Blogger Kristin said...

I'm a little more caught up now. Best wishes to your son and continued good wishes for your family as you navigate communication and your changing roles in each others' lives. It's not easy.

8:13 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home