Everyone Hides Something

You know how sometimes you hear a seemingly throwaway quote– a line in a movie, a voice-over on a television show– that catches your attention, I mean really grabs you when you least expect it, just sneaks up and has you by the short hairs before you even know it, and it hurts, because it burns into your brain and soul, and it doesn’t let go? Ever? You know how that happens?

No? Me neither. That’s so totally weird.

But if that were to happen, not that it did, because apparently that is not a “thing,” I’m just saying if it WERE in fact a thing, then this quote from In Plain Sight (thank you, Netflix!)– which, super good show, by the way, I am NOT even kidding, but it’s over now and why didn’t anyone tell me about it, because RUDE?– well, you could say it still has a mighty firm grip on me, a figurative vice-grip tightening on my poor short hairs which is not a pleasant feeling, I tell you what:

Mary Shannon: [voice-over] We all live in hiding. In one way or another, each of us conceals pieces of ourselves from the rest of the world. Some people hide because their lives depend on it, others because they don’t like being seen. And then there are the special cases, the ones who hide because… because… because they just want someone to care enough to look for them.

And while you may read this and wonder, What is she on about? Well, first of all, have you met me? And B, it’s the damnedest thing because I know I can’t ever go back to NOT understanding that I… well, I’m one of the special cases. And honestly? I don’t know what to do with that.

Seriously. What do I do with that?

Yep. Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking Diet Dr. Pepper.

And with that lame (but, come on, still funny) play on the classic Airplane bit… Cat out.

Be a First Follower Not a Nut

Hoo! This video (below) is such a fun, genuine example of “tipping point”… AND a cautionary tale about attending concerts while jacked up on goofballs, especially in this era of camera phones and YouTube, but mostly, “tipping point.”

Oh, and how groupthink and peer pressure can influence one’s decision making process, obviously. And the nature of leadership.

Also, just say no to drugs. Because the shirtless dancing guy? He crazy high, yo?

Hmm. Maybe you should just take a little look-see and determine for yourself:

Honestly, it is clear to me that the lone nut’s “leadership” is somewhat wasted in this case. I mean, he’s not tripping all over himself to acquire a following or anything, right? No, he’s just doing his thang! Reveling–nay, baking!– in the fresh air and sunlight! But he is lit, I mean, he lit the way– blazed a trail, if you will– for the first follower, the linchpin to creative leadership. Where others saw a lone nut, the first follower recognized the dancing dude’s potential and knew how to tap it.

Hey. It’s MY blog! Deal with my punning.

Yes, the lone nut only inadvertently sparked a movement; it was the first follower who fanned that spark into a flame– fanned it higher and higher!– created the buzz, and convinced others to act, to follow. Inspiring a movement. Which, to me, makes the first follower the actual innovator and TRUE leader.

FINE! Done with the puns now.

Heh. This video should be called “Leadership and the Tripping Point.” Heh heh.

Okay, NOW I’m done.

Camping with the Morwitzes

This weekend we went on a camping trip with some friends… let’s call them the Morwitzes. (See how I did that there, Morwitzes? YOU know who you are!)

And while they mocked me for bringing my iPad–some of my kids haven’t SEEN all the episodes of Sherlock, okay?!– and for sleeping in the car instead of a tent– hello? due to potential back pain from the rocky ground and absolutely NOT because I’m afraid of being eaten by a bear even though on the way into the campground we spotted a few big ol’ black bears that would (I am told) rather eat berries than people–it was good times for all. Because they are a fun, somewhat snarky, super cool family, that’s why!

As we sat around the campsite towards the end of the campout, one of our friends suddenly asked, “So, are we going to be in your blog now?” Which was A) surprising and awkward (people besides my mother READ my blog?!), and secondly, hilarious. So, as not to disappoint, I’ve recorded a few snippets of conversation from the weekend.

(ASIDE: There was this hilarious conversation about a certain “artsy” photograph from Mr. Morwitz’s college years that is NOT currently hanging on their wall, but that is a story for another day… I shall call it “Tit Climber.” Or not.)

Driving in Cars with Fifth Graders

On the way to the Shenandoah National Park, we swapped kids. Mack travelled with the Morwitzes to hang with one of her BBFs and we got our friends’ fifth grade son (we’ll call him Little Man), whose delightfully elliptical conversations kept us entertained throughout the drive.

Little Man: Oh, I know that I’m weird.

Cat:  Nothing wrong with being weird, I always say!

Alli:  That’s true. She does say that.

TD:  A LOT.

Cat: Yep. I’m a big fan of weird!

Alli:  Says that, too.

TD:  A LOT.

Little Man: In first grade, I tried being normal. It didn’t work.

Cat:  Oh…

Little Man: So I decided that I would be abnormal.

Cat: Oh, okay. So… you decided to be yourself.

Alli: Yeah. You OWNED your weirdness! Right Momma?

Little Man: No, no, I decided to be abnormal because I didn’t like trying to be normal.

Cat: But if you ARE abnormal, then that would mean you simply decided to be yourself.

Little Man: Oh…

Cat:  You decided to be YOUR normal.

Little Man: I hadn’t thought of that…

Cat:  Because you’re weird.

Little Man: Yes.

Cat: I like you, Little Man. You’re fun to talk to.

Little Man: Thank you.

At the Campground

To set this up, I should mention that Mack’s friend has a somewhat quiet and serious nature, at least around grown-ups. I’m pretty sure it’s a front though. Oh, not in an insincere, Eddie Haskell kind of way, mind you, but more of a Michigan J. Frog (“Hello! ma baby! Hello! ma honey Hello! ma ragtime gaaal…”) Looney Tunes-type thing. I mean, the girl is a fencing champion, after all! (Olympic fencing, that is. Obviously. Just want to be clear.) So she has a wild streak in there somewhere, right? Right? I’m just saying. So anytime I see her smile or crack a joke or act as silly as my daughters and other eighth-grade girls often do, well, it’s just fun.

Now for the conversation. While we were camping, I noticed that when she wasn’t helping set up tents or playing frisbee or talking to Mack, she was immersed in a book. And while I know how irritating it is to be callously ripped out of a perfectly good book, I had to know what she was reading. Clearly. Because I’m annoying that way? So when I noticed her sitting quietly next to her mom, reading, I pounced. Cat-like and whatnot.

Cat: So… What’cha reading?

Mom M: Oh, you know, she’s just doing a little light reading. It’s The Count of Monte Cristo.

Heh. So, definitely NOT light reading, then. (Because I’m pretty sure that bad boy was the 1200 to 1400-page unabridged version.)

Now, I must confess that my English teacher recovery suffered a slight relapse (eight years teaching-free!) as I immediately thought, Here’s my chance! Because there are only so many ways you can make an author memorable for your students. Honestly. You don’t even know.

Cat:  Oh! Cool!

I had her attention.

Cat: (excitedly) The one by dumb-ass, right?!

She looked up at me. She cracked a smile.

Mack:  MOM…

Cat: (very seriously) Of course, I meant to say “Dumas.”

Her smile widened. I would even go so far as to say… she grinned.

Woo! Success! Cat’s lame, somewhat puerile humor FTW (for the win)! Take THAT, high school English teacher.

Are You Freaking Kidding Me?!

Just watched the Season 2 finale of Sherlock, The Reichenbach Fall. SO. GOOD. Like, whoa. What I meant to say was… whoa.

Now, I realize that Martin Freeman is VERY busy Hobbiting it up in Middle-earth, adventuring with Thorin and the other dwarves, and Benedict Cumberbatch is being evil and whatnot as the Nectromancer, AKA soon-to-be-Sauron, and lending his awesome voice to the dragon Smaug, but seriously?! No new episodes of Sherlock until next YEAR?! And they don’t even start filming until SPRING 2013?!

Are they trying to KILL me? With THAT ending?! And the new episodes will show first in the U.K. anyway which means I– I mean we– will have to wait… well, a whole lot of time before we pick up where what in the WHAT happened and that is CRAZY talk and are you freaking KIDDING me BBC?!

*deep breath*

(Confession: When I’m sick I tend to be a little melodramatic. Deal with my drama.)

We’re Weird and We Know It and We Ain’t Afraid to Show It

Involuntary response triggered by a conversation overheard between two weird manga characters on some Japanese anime television series my kiddos were watching… and I realize now that saying “weird” and “manga characters” is redundant, but I will move on because I don’t want to be judgey, although have you SEEN any Japanese anime television series based on manga? Because, weird. Not that I’m judging.

DORORO to SERGEANT KERORO (on the TV):  Hey! I’ve got passion!

CAT (without looking up from book): In my pants!  And I ain’t afraid to show it!

MACK: Oh, Mom.

CAT: (book down now) –show it, show it–

ALLI:  Momma, no!

CAT: I’m sexy and I know it! (up and dancing now) Girl look at that body! Uh! Girl look at that body! UH!

MACK: This is just embarrassing.

CAT: (shaking that bootay) Girl look at that body! UH!

GIRLS: MOM!

CAT: Ah… I work out!

Silence.

CAT (sits down again):  What?! It’s a song about exercise. GOSH.

More silence. Then–

MACK: No. Don’t do it, Mom.

ALLI: Seriously, Momma. Don’t–

CAT:  Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle yeah!

ALLI and MACK (no longer fighting it): Do the wiggle man! I do the wiggle man! Yeah!

CAT and GIRLS: I’m sexy and I know it!

Irrational impulse satisfactorily acted upon, I returned to my book and the girls went back to their show. Because that’s just how we roll at the DWM home.

 

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