repetitive motions.

Snow cones- when's the last time you had one?

This weekend was the busiest I'd been in a while. I spent my entire Saturday babysitting (8AM: woke up to literally run out the door) and helping out at a local event. The weather this weekend was absolutely beautiful (high 60's!), but spending hours trying to catch up to young ones really wore me out.

because everyone wants to be velcro-ed to a wall

Sunday morning, I woke up at six to make my way over to Sugar Land for my first novice row at 7:30AM (rowers are early risers). I was put in a quad with one other beginner where I caught three crabs and was almost knocked off the boat (I have the bruises to show for it!). But I had such a great time. At the end, we "full power"-ed it 1500m back to the boathouse.

The beautiful boathouse

I must note that the repetitive rowing motions- leg, back, arm, release and repeat- almost made me... nervous. The rhythmic motion of sliding back and forth, and the coordinated sounds of oars splashing into the water, the click of the oar squaring against the edge... I had to distract myself from the robot-like motions and not think too much about them, because the moment I began noticing everything I had to do, I became overwhelmed by the movements and fumbled. 

A conversation I had with my cactus-loving friend Lobo made me think about the repetitive daily events I go through. I had been feeling a little uneasy about my everyday life, because it is so regular and predictable; it is so okay. Not ohhhh-I-got-an-A-on-that-essay or holy-shmoles-I-have-five-exams-next-week extremes, but a stable ongoing rhythm of work and everyday happenings, a simple contentment. I must admit it sometimes makes me uncomfortable to feel this way, after a whole lifetime of squeezing in extra commitments and strong emotions associated with little successes or failures. Another question Lobo talked about has me thinking: what is happiness? And the biggest question that follows: what am I doing to achieve that happiness right now?

A regular life may be something I am simply not used to, but the more important question must be: am I happy? (or becoming happy?)  I have lots to think about as I drift off to sleep clutching my aching back from carrying 50-pound-kiddos.