Do you ever have those moments when you catch yourself thinking, "Is this really my life right now?" I first started asking this question a moment before I was about to go on stage in front of 400 kids wearing a gift wrap grass skirt to do a synchronized wrapping paper roll twirling number. What grown adult does that - and actually enjoys it?! And who would have guessed that things like this would bring joy and meaning to my life? And who would have thought that this social girl would live alone with two cats at 31? I'm glad I don't have a cookie-cutter life. And I've worked very hard to figure out what kind of life I want to lead. I'm just saying... there are so many surprises.
Things I never thought I'd do:
1. Get a cat.
As a devoted dog lover, I was convinced I couldn't handle the constant aloofness and rejection from cats. Then when I moved into my house, a neighbor kitty walked right in the door and decided to stay. Not one to turn away a lost soul, I bought some cat food, made her a cushy spot to hang out by the window, and we bonded. Unfortunately, her life ended up being very short, and when she was gone I missed the extra energy in the house. So I adopted Oliver George Harrison Kitty. But in my responsible new cat owner research I found most experts say that single cats are more neurotic, and he obviously needed more entertainment than I could provide (the running and attacking of my ankles got old). So I went to visit my friend who was fostering several cats and an elegant black kitty who looked astonishingly like Audrey Hepburn caught my eye. Eventually I brought Holly Golightly (as we called her) home, and she and Oliver hit it off. But she turned out to be more skiddish than I realized, and her name never sat quite right. I didn't think I liked her and even wondered if I should give her away. After much anguish, I found the answer. The name Violet came to me in a moment of brilliance, and I have been slowly falling in love with her every since. Somehow, it makes her cat-y-ness just seem good old-fashioned prim and proper rather than aloof and snobby. What a difference a name makes. Viola. Single woman, two cats. They're cats, but they're my cats.
And yes, I just became one of those people who puts photos of their pets in their blog. You'll get over it.
2. Online dating.
Right when being single at 29 was getting really old, a friend visiting from Chicago described her experience venturing into online dating. It sounded like fun - being forced to express what you are looking for and meeting new people. For some reason, I don't meet a lot of men while working at a grade school and at a non-profit run by women. And I'd dated all of my available male friends... So I went online. What followed was an interesting cast of characters (the REI Guy, the 42 Year Old, the Mountaineering Lawyer, the Fireman, the Genius...)and a series of misadventures (including the infamous high five incident, of course). But that's another story for another time.
3. MySpace, Facebook, IM, and Blogging.
Let's just admit that we mock what we don't know. I was afraid. I didn't understand. But all the cool kids were talking about it. I swear there's a slight technological generation gap between me and people around five years younger. (Although, aren't there Grandmas who blog?) A few of those kind souls walked me through it. And now I can't imagine what I did before I could be instantly connected to the outside world in real time without leaving my couch.
Never say never!
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