Monday, June 04, 2007

MAKING PEACE

The Manic Monday theme for today is peace. To see all participants head over to see Mo at "It's a Blog Eat Blog World".

Obviously peace in all the war-torn regions of the world would be a more obvious and probably more relevant topic than what I am thinking about but that just isn’t where my mind is going right now. Therefore, here is my self-centered post about peace.

Tomorrow I am going to be 28. While I knew that last year was officially my entrance into the late-twenties, I feel I could still fudge my way into mid-twenties if I really wanted to. No more. That is ok though, I have made my peace.

Over the past week I have done a lot of thinking about direction and goals, as my regular readers know I am prone to do. I thought a lot about where I planned to be at this time in my life and where I am now. I worked hard on reconciling the two in my head and, I can confidently say, I am ok. In order to really be ok I had to examine a few stages of development of Natalie. I needed to look at where I thought I would be at this point in my life and see how things have changed.

Natalie Age 6- By age 28 I will have graduated from Medical School and finished my residency and be a practicing pediatric neurosurgeon with years of work under my belt (my sense of time was a bit off). I will have the perfect marriage, like my parents, and have 10 kids. I will live in a huge house on Summit Ave in St. Paul. I will have published many articles and cured some unknown neurological condition. I also will have skated in the Olympics.

Natalie Age 13- By age 28 I will be a pediatrician. I will have written the great American novel and be working on my second opus. I will have the perfect marriage and live in a huge house, very likely on Summit Ave in St. Paul. I will have three children, two girls and a boy and they will be gorgeous beautiful renaissance children.

Natalie Age 20- By age 28 I will be finishing up my residency in psychiatry and getting ready to open a private practice. I will have the perfect marriage and live in a nice house. I will possibly have a child but if not I will be getting ready to have one in the next year or so. I will have published many articles and will be working on some major psychiatric research.

Natalie Age 27 (for one more day)- At 28 I am trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. I am in a wonderful and loving relationship and am not married but am with someone who I want those things to happen with sometime in the next ten years. I am thinking about how to eventually save enough money to buy a condo, probably in Chicago. I am working a job that I enjoy most days and feel as if I am making a difference to some of my students. I am “working on” my first novel that is incredibly self-indulgent that I have been "working on" for the past year and a half and I might eventually finish it. I periodically think of submitting my children’s book for publication. I am an utterly confused relatively directionless person but I am happy. I am at peace with that.

1. I never meant to give you mushrooms girl/ I never meant to bring you to my world/ But now you’re sitting in the corner crying/ And now it’s my fault my fault. My Fault, Eminem. Identified by Brooke.

2. I’ll do anything/ For my sweet sixteen/ And I’d do anything/ For little runaway child

3. The sea is foaming like a bottle of beer/ The wave is coming but I ain’t got no fear/ I’m waxing down so that I’ll go real fast/ I’m waxing down because it’s really a blast. Surf Wax America, Weezer. Identified by Monica

4. Two-headed boy/ all floating in glass/ The sun it is passed now it’s blacker than black/ I can hear as you tap on your jar. Two Headed Boy, Neutral Milk Hotel. Identified by Monica

5. Look on yonder misty mountain/ See the young monk meditating rhododendron forest/ over dusty hills I ask you/ What it’s been like being you. Epistle to Dippy, Donovan. Identified by Monica

30 comments:

Traveling Matt said...

happy early b-day Natums. Love you and shit.
Now for songs:

3. Surf Wax America - Weezer
4. 2 headed boy - Neutral Milk Hotel???
5. my theme song Epistle to Dippy - Donovan

Traveling Matt said...

i forgot something...speaking of children's books, remember the ones that we wrote completely separate from each other when we were very small with our mommys and they were way too close to being the same book? i think we discovered this in the first few days of knowing each other.

Anonymous said...

Have a wonderful Manic Monday!!

Eve said...

10 kids? Ha!

And happy birthday!

Anonymous said...

Friend, there is something so completely appropriate about the first song, given that you're writing about not quite feeling grown and the 20 year. My Fault aka The Mushroom Song, Eminem. Thus far, 28 has been the greatest. It's really not so bad.

Travis Cody said...

Happy Birthday!

Sandee said...

Happy Birthday. Your accomplishments are great. Have a wonderful peaceful day tomorrow. Happy MM. :)

Foofa said...

Mizzle- Yeah that is the book I think about submitting for publication. I didn't write it with Mom though, it's adapted from Mom trying to calm me down before bed.

Tegdirb- You too!

Eve- Yeah how crazy an idea is that? It seemed completely reasonable at the time.

Brooke- I'm actually really good about being 28. It's the first time in many birthdays when I wasn't having some sort of major or minor freak out.

Travis- Thanks! I think it will be a good one.

Comedy+- Thanks, I am beginning to see that myself.

Michael C said...

Well Happy, Happy B-Day one day early!!!!!!!

Danielle said...

Happy Birthday sweets. I said goodbye to my twenties two birthdays ago it definitely made me stop and think about where I have been and where I want to be.

Be well, sweets.

RandomlyAccessedMemories said...

Happy B-day, Natty! Gemini's of the world unite to... start a bunch of projects that we'll never finish, then go take a nap!

janeylynne said...

Happy Birthday! I hit the big 3-0 in the fall. Being at peace with where you are in life is a huge thing and it's a great thing when you really feel that. Have a great day!

CrazySpanishGirl said...

funny you talk about peace. We woke up today to one of the worst news, ETA, our own private terrorist group, has ended the cease fire. I can't cope with more deaths for stupid selfish reasons based on irreal separatist beliefs.

Sorry, the news really pissed me off.

Anyway. Happy birthday!!! Hugs from Spain.

Jeff Roberts said...

HBD!

28 was great, it's the age I look back to and imagine I feel when I'm all exercised up and healthy.

Mo and The Purries said...

Peace Out, Natalie.
And Happy Birthday!!!


mo

Mrs. Loquacious said...

Happy Birthday Natalie! :)

28 is going to be a great year for you! :)

Durward Discussion said...

Happy birthday. Hope it is a good one. Love your "peace" blog.

Anonymous said...

Well, it's Tuesday now, so...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Have a wonderful day and a glowingly great year.

Much love always.

Christine Boles said...

Happy Bday, Nat, and many 'appy returns!

Cincy Diva said...

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to Yoooooooou!
Happy Birthday to our gal Natalie!
Oh Happy Nirthday to Youuuuuuu!

That is the Kentucky Birthday song. Usually there are banjo'e and shotguns shooting, but I am at work and they frown on that! Hope you have a happy one!
Oh, and Morgen sent me!

Anonymous said...

You're happy where you are now. That's terrific!

Happy, happy birthday, you sweet and smart young lady. Wishing you many, many more.

With Love, Fat Girl said...

Happy belated! Awesome post, very enjoyable to read.

Unknown said...

Happy, Happy Birthday!!! Hope you had a good one!!! You share with my sister-in-law and my niece...you must be VERY special! Eenjoy.

Phil said...

Your progression through your age and epectations made me laugh. Not at you, but how we all do the same thing.

notfearingchange said...

AWESOME...it is truly funny what you think will happen and where you end up...funnily - you and I were not too different as children in our hopes dreams and aspirations...well except marriage was never big on my list - children and career yes. ;-)

HAAAAAPPPPPPPPYYYYYY DAY Natalie...happy day. May it be glorious.

Marilyn said...

Happy Birthday!

Anonymous said...

"Happy Birthday Sweetie!"

I would've said and looked exactly like jeff roberts does, but like he totally ALREADY IS HIMSELF.

Ok, check this one out.

http://dukeofstraw.com/summer/20.mp3

-R (T's old friend)

PS 28 aint so bad ;)

PPS First time i read your blog!

PPPS C U This weekend maybe! Peace.
http://thunkdifferent.wordpress.com/2007/06/04/copyright-the-electric-slide/

ttyl.

Phil said...

And, Happy Birthday!

Foofa said...

Michael, Mo, Mrs. L, Jamie, Mom, Christine, Lizza, WLFG, Marilyn, etal- Thanks for the well wishes!

Danielle- I am hoping to figure out a lot of that in the next two years. I’d like to be well on my way to the next step by 30. We’ll see how it goes.

Ern- That sounds suspiciously like exactly what I plan to do. I thought all my projects were likely to be doomed and you have confirmed my suspicions, Damn.

Janeylynne- I like your new picture! I have a lot of close friends who are fast approaching that date. Luckily I get to watch most of my friends get there before me!

CSG- That is very sad news. Sorry to hear it. I don’t think I could handle that kind of activity so close to my home.

Jeff- I’m feeling pretty positive about it. I should get all exercised up and healthy though.

Cincy- I am both terrified and intrigued by the Kentucky Birthday song. I like banjos but shotgun shooting is a little odd.

Steven- I like to think I am very special but it’s nice to have my suspicions confirmed

Phil- It made me laugh too. I’m glad the changes are relatively universal. Sometimes when I talk to people who had relatively set plans they seem to stick to them and then I feel like a goof. And thanks!

Not Fearing- I have always wanted a really awesome dress. I think the marriage plans are mostly plans to have that happen. What a girl I am.

R- I so hope we can hang this weekend. It would be the coolest. See, I told you I blog about absolutely nothing. I’ll have to check those things out when I go home and am not on the slowest computer in the world.

The Doc said...

Happy (belated) Birthday!