There have been so many days to begin…
The number of times I’ve pinned or saved the quote, “In one year you’ll wished you started today,” is honestly painful to think about. The first time I truly wanted to start a blog, or some written document of my life and thoughts, was over a decade ago. It’s embarrassing to admit. Especially because, what the heck was I doing with all my time before I had kids?! Imagine the trove of content I’d have amassed by now! But of course, the saying STILL holds true! Even though I didn’t do it then, imagine in one year if I start today! So here I am.
One way to understand what you are meant to do with your time is by thinking about how you spend your daydreaming moments, or whose life you are envious of - what does that person do?
Every time I think about this. Or really, every time I have TIME on my hands, period, what am I doing? Reading personal blogs (and now Substacks). Daydreaming about freelance writing for parenting publications. Admiring Cup of Jo from afar. So here I am, determined to start documenting life for myself to fill this need that sits inside me. I am reminding myself that I am the only thing in my own way. I am writing to remember what captured my attention today. To remember the moments of my children’s lives that vanish once I close my eyes after a long day. To honor the knowledge that there is a reason I am on the journey I am on - a recently-minted autism mom, raising two kids at a cataclysmic time, with an endless interest in the world, culture and society we are living in today.
I am an anthropologist by degree, and it has taken me almost 15 years post-graduation to realize that having that degree means I am an anthropologist. And with my appointed anthropologist hat, now I am sitting down to take field notes, called Champagne Notes.
Field Notes
I am currently reading “Generations” by Jean Twenge, and I have so many thoughts on it that I drafted the author a multi-page email about how her book is the culmination of all the thoughts I am constantly ruminating over: about the state of humankind, specifically raising kids today, and how we can influence future generations by looking back to the past.
Michaeleen Doucleff wrote a book that feels like exactly the kind of thing I want to be writing here, now.
“Hunt, Gather, Parent”, although I haven’t read it yet, is an anthropological stance on her own life, comparing it to, and gathering learnings from, cultures of the world both present and past.
Which means, if I had started 10 years ago - writing down my own notes - maybe that would be my book! But really that’s not true. Because it’s only right now, in this perfect storm of events, that makes me feel the conviction to start down this path. I am a parent of two young children, but out of the baby stage; a woman who now sees that midlife is just on the horizon; a recent adopter of cannabis use with my Astronomy-obsessed husband, which puts us in the headspace to often reflect on just how SMALL we are in the world. (Do people ever think about this when they are not high?!) Its clear to me that (while I can’t ever wrap my head around the math and science that goes into it) we, living on this planet right now, are merely the tiniest hashmark on an eternal timeline.
The true work of any writer is putting in the time, and I hope my readers will help me in that effort. I will be here as often as I can, when I’m not wrangling our tiny humans, or putting in the paid hours to secure our healthcare.
Subscribe below to come along on this anthropological adventure with me!