Stream of Consciousness

I had a bunch of different things on my mind today to blog about like how I don’t know if I am going to make it through the year listening to the moronic election-year stories or the misleading and baiting headlines on Yahoo or the parenting advice I learned from a horse whisperer or how I am looking forward to reading my first Elmore Leonard, but I just could not stayed focused long enough to write anything worthwhile. So I just decided to do the whole stream of consciousness writing for five minutes. Here it goes ....

Enjoyed this quote today, “There may be more to learn from climbing the same mountain a hundred times then by climbing a hundred different mountains.” I tried to see the significance of that today when I was walking Tank because we usually walk the same path at least once a week. But was not in the right mood. I just got reminded of a certain movie because I saw a street named Abode. The Dude abides. “The Big Lebowski.” Easily one of my favorite films of all time. I watch it on my birthday every year. Kind of like a special treat to me. I think if I watched it more than once a year then it would lose it uniqueness. A man has to know his limitations. A quote from “Magnum Force” and Dirty Harry Callahan. The movie “Dirty Harry” is one of the first movies that I ever memorized a line from. The whole do you feel lucky, punk scene. Great, great line. I think I was a teenager. Maybe 15 or 16. That is when it dawned on me how much I love movies and how much of an impact they can have on people. Fast forward 26 years later and I am really disappointed in movies. Just not a lot of good stuff out there. Maybe it is me being a middle-aged grumpy dude. Get off my lawn. Another line from a Clint Eastwood movie, “Gran Torino.” I think that is the last movie of his I saw. Let me check IMDB. I was wrong. I saw “Invictus.” Didn’t really enjoy that one too much. Might watch a movie tonight, “Exporting Raymond.” Depends on how cooperative the soon-to-be two-month-old is at bedtime. Hayden is usually pretty good but some nights she wants to stay up and play. I don’t know if it is because we already had a kid or if she is a girl but so far she has been a lot easier. Eating good, sleeping through the night, and really, really laid back. I don’t want to jinx us but I am grateful that she is a mellow baby. I don’t know if I could handle another picky eater and difficult sleeper like Kyle. I love that boy to death but it was hard on me trying to feed him because I did not have the patience or understanding. Still bothers me that I was like that with him. When I think about it, I just go straight to doomsday scenarios and just imagine him in therapy telling the counselor how mean I was to him. I am such a pessimist always going ....

Time’s up. Hope it wasn’t too bad to read a few minutes of my thoughts. Have a good rest of your day, and I will talk to you later.


Kyle and his cousin, Charley, just out for a Sunday drive. Love this picture of the two boys. Just imagine them growing to be something like the Duke boys and cruising around together in the General Lee.



I will persevere. I will keep moving forward. I will be the stream.

Comments

  1. That is a wonderful pic of the cousins! I like the dog with her ball or is it an apple trotting along beside them too.

    Its funny how Clint Eastwood's talent has developed over the years. I have not seen "Invictus". "The Big Lebowski" is very dear to me. Right now I'm watching "Consantine". I guess when it comes to movies I'm all over the map.

    I'm glad that Hayden is such a good baby for you. I've been through the sleep and food wars. Kyle will not recall the struggle. No worries. What he will recall is that he had a dad who was always there for him.

    Have a great weekend Shife! Oh... hahahaha... my comment word is "prono". I thought at first it was "porno" and couldn't get it to take my comment. Too funny.

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  2. I must try that style of writing. You got a lot down in the allotted time. Silly rabbit is right, Kyle will remember his Dad being there for him.
    As for movies, I find the old ones are the best. I'm currently ploughing through my older DVDs. I thought I'd chuck some out but then decided the newer ones were the ones that should go.

    Thank you for reading the Frankie interview and I was sorry to read about your sister's predicament. Life can be cruel sometimes.

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  3. Oh Mr. Shife. You are a TRUE parent-worrying that your son will end up in therapy, talking about how you failed him.
    We all feel that. Fear that.
    Look at that boy's happy face.

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  4. You shouldn't worry, you're doing a great job. There seems to be a lot less pressure raising the second kid. You've got a big advantage over a lot of parents, being a little older.

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  5. My mind works like that sometimes too. Loved the movie Gran Torino. I had a high maintenance kid. She slept well but was (and still is) a very picky eater, at age 16. Love the picture, reminds me of a male Thelma and Louise ;-).

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  6. So much to comment on, but I will say you shouldn't worry about being too mean. If it's done right, he'll thank you one day.

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  7. I don't know about you but I know that with my first baby I was so stressed out worrying that I was going to fail to keep her alive and healthy that it seemed much harder than it should have. I had twins next, and found that to be easier in most ways but more difficult because my son had horrible asthma and was in the hospital all the time. With my first, I worried about doing things "wrong" much more but by the time I had my second and third (and fourth) baby I figured I had already proven I could take care of a baby/kid so I was much more relaxed.

    I'm glad things are going well. I think the therapy thing will not happen because I think that kind of thing only happens when the parent doesn't realize or admit their mistakes. No one is perfect, everyone has something they beat themselves up about in their head. Once you can admit whatever it is, even just to yourself, it's good. You are an amazing dad from what I read, and I am pretty sure whatever you were frustrated with is something he has long forgotten and wont be a big thing in the story of his life.

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  8. That was good! And I understand you totally with the sleeping issue. My first child probably had colic. Just would cry and cry, starting at 4 PM every night. Like clockwork. Thank God he outgrew it.

    My second child was MUCH easier. But she's a headache now that she's 7. HELP!!!!

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  9. I like streams of Shifeyness. Tell Starscream to pipe down so you can get some more writing and movies done.

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  10. Ha! That picture is awesome

    I hear ya on the politics

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