Sometime around the end of August, long after you’ve succumbed to summer’s sultry song, the machine sputters, chokes, and belches to life.
It starts slowly at first, with a soccer practice here and there. Then there’s an open house at school. Soon after, drama classes reemerge. Then, as long summer afternoons slip quicker into darkness, school begins again. September arrives. The machine starts whirling and whining and then magically, there’s a commitment somewhere every night. Except Thursday. And the cars need maintenance. And work gets crazy. And there are dentists, orthodontists, vets, and volunteering. The weekends are no different with its rafting and soccer and hiking and apple picking and pumpkins and yard work and groceries and dogs that have to go to the park every day. And the the din of the machine is at full volume. Except, you don’t hear it anymore. In fact, you don’t hear anything – except for the deafening roar of your own tinnitus. But then, a voice rings out from the back of the house just as you settle down for the day at 10 pm, “I love you, Daddy!”
“I love you too!” you call back. And then shut your eyes.
***
UpsideUp Laurie
Sep 20, 2011
Nice piece Jim. Great pace, lovely mood, sweet ending.
Jim Mitchem
Sep 21, 2011
Thanks, Laurie.
Tricia Oakes
Sep 21, 2011
Gorgeous and true. Taking the daily mundane and making it beautiful is a true gift. Thanks for sharing.
Splitting Hairs | Obsessed with Conformity
Oct 12, 2011
[…] for it. And in our ‘down time’ we do everything necessary to do to keep a family going. Yes, we’re neck-deep in the machine. And no, I’m not complaining – I’m just saying that if I could be not busy? […]
What I Want For Christmas | Obsessed with Conformity
Dec 20, 2011
[…] What else is there? I have enough clothes. I don’t wear jewelry. We have insurance. We have jobs to help us pay for all the things we need to survive in the American Machine. […]
Onion Paper | Obsessed with Conformity
Dec 30, 2011
[…] Then I pick up children and ferry one or both to extracurricular activities. During the drive, one of the girls says, “We’ll be there in a jiffy.” And that makes me smile. Darkness arrives. My wife gets home from her job and cooks dinner. I feel guilty for not being more helpful with that. We arrive and then we all gather round a wooden table, bow heads, pass the salt and pepper – and talk. For a half hour. Then it’s showers and reading and ipad and macbook and melatonin and hitting knees again before hitting pillow. A little dog jumps in bed and burrows under the comforter at the bottom. It’s cold. The heat kicks on. I’m grateful for our little family making it through another day inside of the machine. […]
3 minutes 22 seconds | Obsessed with Conformity
Feb 10, 2012
[…] in order to write the book. And that’s not happening, either since I’m just a rat stuck in the machine. But – I am still a writer, and so this blog is where I put my thinking. In short blog posts […]
The Haze | Obsessed with Conformity
Jul 9, 2012
[…] enjoy back home in Charlotte. I thought about how in a few days I’d be back in the routine of the machine – doing my own thing in the world to make ends meet so that we can continue to have a good […]
Splitting Hairs | obsessed with conformity
Feb 7, 2014
[…] it. And in our ‘down time’ we do everything necessary to do to keep a family going. We are neck-deep in the machine. And it’s ok, I guess – though if I could be not busy more often I’d be totally ok […]
My novel – Minor King
Recent Posts
Copyright © Jim Mitchem. Hosted by Command Partners.