Wednesday, January 06, 2010

The relativity of everything. Or, I see preg people.

We moved every four years - with one two-year stint in Egypt - when I was growing up.

With all the moving moving moving, we were always packing packing packing. And so, to this day, I cannot pass a sturdy cardboard box without pausing to assess its sturdiness, and how much it might fit.

I seriously will stop on the sidewalk and look it up and down all, "Nice box!"

And Nick will say, "Keep walking."

Once I started working with textiles, I did the same thing with so many random things. I can admire a sturdy pair of rubber gloves. Strong string. Sharp scissors. I've picked up random pieces of flattened metal from the road, because they could make an interesting print design.

It's just where your focus is, you know?

And in a similar vein, before I got pregnant, I never, ever saw pregnant people, people with strollers, people with young children.

And they are EVERYWHERE. They take up whole sidewalks How did I miss them? I see them all over the place now.

And honestly, I think this is why I never censored my foul mouth around kids. Because I didn't see them. Yes, even at the zoo. Duh, I know.

But I just wasn't a kid person. I never had baby lust. I didn't notice their big cheeks, their sweet coos, their adorable outfits, their cutie cute whatevers.

I used to look at people's baby pictures to be polite. Really. And sometimes we single people were not always so polite.

Several years ago, one of our friends tried to tell us a cute story about his now-wife's son, and we were all, "We're single. Do you seriously think we want to hear about potty training? And would you like another beer?"

Now I practically accost strangers on the street to tell them how great my kid is. And I'm pretty sure Nick strikes up conversations with people on the bus just so he can whip out his BlackBerry and share Big J pics.

Honestly.

And now I'm all, nice stroller! Cute diaper bag! Gorgeous baby - do you have any more pictures?

12 comments:

  1. I think this is true for many people. Not the "nice box!" thing (and, um, I'd point very obviously at the cardboard container in question when you were saying that, if I were you...).

    A friend of mine swore that Volvos had taken over the earth, after she broke up with her Volvo mechanic then-boyfriend.

    Personally, I think that slight tunnelling to one's vision can give one's people a chance to try on a whole new perspective. Or at least look at Volvos, and babies, in a slightly more appreciative way.

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  2. synchronicity! i love when this happens. though it's definitely preferable when it's a positive thing. i can imagine it wouldn't be nearly as pleasant to get mauled by a labradoodle and then see them everywhere.

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  3. Awesome. Funnier and less brutal than David Cross' take: http://ow.ly/TqkO

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  4. Dagny - Thanks for the reminder on the "nice box" business. Heh. And I love how you make things so positive and constructive. It's a talent, really and truly.

    amanda - Hahahaha - I hope to never be mauled by a labradoodle!

    Jordaan - Thanks. :) I am listening now. You don't know how many times I've started a sentence with, "I don't HATE kids..." :)

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  5. So true! I was the same way. Now, I have to think about NOT talking about my daughter, because I remember being bored to tears by "those people" when I was single!

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  6. I'm like this with my dog and, yes, I realize how pathetic that reads.

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  7. Exactly what Freckledk said!

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  8. i mean, yes I HAVE BABY LUST, but at the same time, like frecks and hkw, ill focus on my cat, and my martini thankyouverymuch.

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  9. but see now i have to just say that how could you NOT want to see big J pics because for serious the little man is too cute.

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  10. My husband is an IV nurse, and he examines EVERYONE to see if they have good veins. We can be grocery shopping, picking out apples, and he'll nudge me and say "that guy by the broccoli has great veins." He did it last night as we were being seated at a restaurant - "that brunette we walked past at the table by the door has fantatic veins." Needless to say, I don't judge people on their veins :)

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  11. It's the same way when you broke up with someone when you were single, every song on the radio was about you and left you a hot blubbery mess.

    Even if the song was something like "No Sleep till Brooklyn."

    For my friends who want children and have had some challenges, pregnant people are everywhere they turn. For us who have them and now are more apt to pay attention to all our friends baby pictures on Facebook or lament our loss of sleep in our status message, we are looking for comrades and validation that we are not alone.

    I feel the worst for my friend who had to wait three freaking years before the rest of her good friends even got pregnant. Because we had NO idea. And she must have felt really lonely. We kind of sucked actually, now that I think about it.

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  12. hehe welcome to baby world. it's fun here!

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