Do we do this?

I read an interesting book this week ... I have spells when I read a lot and some when I don't.  This is one of my heavy reading spells ... might have something to do with the heat and the fact that it's nicer inside right now than outside.

The book I'm talking about is "Summer Roses" by Luanne Rice.  I enjoy her books; she has a way of portraying the nitty gritties of life in a realistic manner and wrapping it up in a pleasant container.

I came across this paragraph:

"Women learn how to hide the worst.  We love the best, and show it to all who want to see.  Our accomplishments, our careers, our awards, our homes, our gardens, our happy marriages, our beautiful children.  We learn, by tacit agreement, to look away from -- and hide -- the hurt, the blight, the dark, the monster in the closet, the darkness ... "

The first part of that quote is really the crux of the matter.  It would mean that we are not "real" with each other -- that the facade is more important than reality -- that "keeping up with the Jones's" drives our lives.  I read a number of blogs; it's fun and a nice way to share other's lives and interests.  I enjoy writing my blog when I have something to say (sometimes I don't and it's quiet here at Shoestring Reflections).  Many blogs are so gorgeous and beautifully done that I only visit them occasionally because it's daunting to see them and wonder if I should be doing more in my home, my garden, my, blog, my life.

You may have seen my previous blog this week showing my so "successful" gardening attempts here in Havasu so you can understand that a beautiful garden is not in my future at the moment.  And since we're renting a cute house for the time being, there is only so much decorating I want or can do.  The garage is full of boxes that came from Tucson with us that have no home here at this point.  But I'm discovering something ... this house is easier to clean and keep up than my house in Tucson (I had white carpet); gardening takes a lot less time than before (that may change when cooler weather comes but I'm not sure); and I have a lot more time for me.  Since we've been here only a few months and since many of our neighbors leave for the summer we don't really have a social calendar at the moment either so our activities center around family and each other.

It's a quiet and a pleasant period of time.  I wonder how many of us never take some down time to reflect on where we are in life, what we want out of our existence here planet earth, what we want to leave behind.  I think it's something that might benefit each of us.

Happy Reflecting,