April 6, 2012

TGIF: Erica M Edition

TGIF, bitches! Holla!

Wait. That's so not me. Imma dork. Sorry about that.



It's a guest post week and I've got a super cool, super supportive blogger here: Ms. Erica M. She is the head honcho over at the yeah write blogging community, which, as of late, has become a pretty big job. I wouldn't be surprised if she started charging membership fees!

Erica hasn't been doing much of her own blogging lately, but yes, she does write stuff too!

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Those of you who know me understand just how cynical I am when it comes to using the word happy. I kinda don't believe there is such a thing as happiness. Especially when my 3-year-old is screaming at me to pass him the iPad that is three inches from where he's throwing this stupid tantrum over how Mommy won't pass him the iPad. This is a crazy life we all lead, and I'm not equipped for happiness. I'm more equipped for contentment, peace and quiet. Things not going wrong.


So Jennifer, even though your badge says to get my happy on, I'mma get my eh-things-are-going-okay on instead. I'm a terrible guest.


Things that give me contentment, peace and quiet:


1. My husband Q even when he's driving me crazy trying to make me happy. He buys stuff, he fixes stuff, he judges blog contests. When I was in my late-twenties, I had a journal detailing a list of 11 things I wanted in a man. I met Q about 10 years after writing the list, and he was all 11 things on the list and more, including the sexin' parts. I love him more than anything.


2. Even at their loudest and most irritating, I really do find contentment in my children. I'd been expecting them since I was eight years old, even accidentally predicting I'd have one with special needs. I remember thinking to myself in elementary school how awful it would be for some mentally challenged kid to have a neglectful parent and I was all like: God, if you give me one of those kids, I'd be the best mom to that kid ever. Uh, thanks, God, for listening to an 8-year-old, I guess. I'd also like to win the lotto when it's convenient for you.






3. Having disposable income in the bank. This happens rarely, which could explain my grumpiness.


4. Knowing that even without disposable income, my family is really one of the fortunate ones. We have everything we need and everyone is healthy. I think about Jennifer's husband Mark often, and those thoughts take me back to my own experience with my then-infant daughter Jordan in the hospital when we didn't know if she was gonna live through the night nearly every night for a week. This may explain why I buy her everything she asks for and why we don't have any disposable income. She is currently on her 15th iPhone. Fifteenth. The iPhone has been in existence only since 2008, y'all. She loses, she breaks, she upgrades. I do fuss at her for not doing her laundry as often as I'd like. Does that count as discipline? Here's hoping.


5. Travel. Doesn't happen very often anymore. See #3. But there's nothing like taking off my shoes in the airport, having my $20 moisturizer tossed by some over-zealous security dude and purchasing those crappy in-flight earphones because my earbuds are incompatible with the plane's stupid audio system. I also enjoy landing safely since I always always think I'm on the flight that's gonna crash. Flying should be much better now that I've discovered Xanax.


6. Evening cocktails


7. Mid-morning cocktails


8. HBO. I love premium cable channels. They are my new books.


9. Yelling at sports teams through the TV with Q. The Houston Rockets went on their NBA championship run while Jordan was an infant, and my mom and I must have scared Jordan half to death for a week. I didn't find out for years that brain-injured kids can have a sensitivity to noise. Uh, sorry, moo-moo. (I call Jordan moo-moo. Don't judge)


10. Writing. When I get the chance. It used to be short stories, then it was essays, now it's intros to weekly blogging challenges, but writing is writing, right?


Thanks, Jennifer, for having me. Many many blessings to you, Mark and your family.

* * *

I may not know Erica personally, but I get the feeling she IS happy, and just doesn't wanna jinx it. In fact, I think I'm a genius for asking her to be a guest for TGIF, and making her think about things that make her "content".

Who agrees with me?

You can find Erica at yeah write, and on Twitter, here and here.

Write up some HAPPY, grab the button and link up!


34 comments:

  1. Very cool! I love getting to know Erica better since she is the amazingness behind yeahwrite.

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  2. Thanks for having me! You're right, this was fun to write. I hadn't thought about some of those things in years. Have a great weekend!

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  3. I have always struggled with the concept of happiness, too. I think I've learned that I'm too cynical for happiness, so contentment is probably a better word to describe me as well. I love your honesty here, Erica. And like Robbie, I loved learning more about you here. Number 2 was my favorite. If you have God's ear, can you ask Him to bring me a pony? Thanks!

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  4. Your cynicism and your humor, both standouts of your engaging personality, mask nothing... I see your heart on your sleeve, as the cliche goes, which you probably know derived from jousting matches when the knights wore the colors of their lady on their sleeves. Jousting matches. Seems somehow appropriate. Only another hour or so for me to raise my glass to you for that mid-morning cocktail! Cheers!

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  5. You say that about happiness but your laugh when I cause it lets me know that/when you really are. My favorite part of the fishin' picture is the angry look on Ehren's face, he was not happy that was not his fish...

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  6. Thanks for letting us see a bit of the backstage of the Erica show. You may, in fact, be cynical and bitter and all kinds of whatnot, but the generosity of yeahwrite gives it away: people who aren't happy don't do things for other people, generally speaking. On the other hand, don't get TOO happy, or you might stop being funny...
    the fish picture cracks me up.

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    Replies
    1. I want to say exactly what DQ said. That was the perfect sum-up. Thank you DQ for the perfect EM comment!

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  7. This is fun. I think Erica is happy and funny and faces the world head on. Just like you Jen.

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  8. I found the comments button! yay me. That makes me content.

    Also, HBO in the morning with a cocktail - sublime. Contentment is often better than happiness, as it is more sustainable, I think.

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    Replies
    1. You know, you may be write about contentment being more sustainable.

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  9. Erica, I love the way you write & I love your honesty. Happiness....MEH. I'll take contentment any day. All of your kids are lucky to have you.

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  10. Jen, you're a great hostess. Erica, love your post; I'll take contentment any day over dramatic highs and lows. I also had a list before I met my husband. It included things like "no lefties" and "no Yankees fans." He's right-handed, Yankee-hatin' and I'm crazy about him. Lists are good.

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  11. Happy is a fleeting moment, and contentment is a mindset. I actually don't think you're cynical and bitter, nice try. I think you're witty and guarded, and that makes sense.

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    Replies
    1. You guys are changing my thoughts on this matter...

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  12. I feel uncomfortable but now I am thinking about sexin' parts ;) Yeah I think I am "meh" too. Content and safe and just okay is great for me, and not at all where I'm at. Need to work on that...

    Your kids are adorable!!

    I'm so over travel. Maybe it's the opposite because I "get" to do it a lot but I have to be drunk now to do it, at this point, or I will go into fly-rage. Let's see, by the end of April I will have gone out of town for work for the weekend six times in 8 weeks. That's too much :)

    I liked this post Erica and hi Jenn!!

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  13. As much as you do for others, Erica - cynical is not a word I would use to describe you. You make the blogosphere a better place by building communities. And well, I'd love to say more, but my 7yr old is upset because my 6yr old is snoring, and I have to pull one kid out of the room, to allow the other kid to fall asleep, so the other kid can be brought back into the room, and ... Happy? Meh. Overrated. I'm blessed. (as are you.) Thank you for all you do.

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  14. I'm not much of a joiner, and yeah write is the first time I've linked ANYTHING up. Ever. And now, reading Erica's offering here, I find I'm tempted to link up here. Only because she's here (and because happy contentment is kind of awesome when you can get it). I think Erica is a descendent of the Pied Piper.

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  15. I love me some Erica. So glad to read her getting her "meh" on over here at Jen's wonderful blog.
    I was so touched by how you were 8 when you said, God, give me a special needs child and I'll be the best momma. Your girl is so lucky. And - 15 iPhones! She's worse than me! Wow. You are fabulous to keep rolling with it, fabulous.
    When I was a teen and my gay friend's parents didn't understand him I used to say God, I would be the most fabulous mom of a gay boy. But he gave me two girls so c'est la vie. (-:
    Loved this post!

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  16. I always love your Yeah Write intros, Erica. And I also love that you call her moo-moo (makes me feel almost normal for calling mine boo boo).

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    Replies
    1. I tried to call my daughter boo boo, but Mark put the kybosh on that right away.

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    2. I call Jordan boo-boo in private. She was desperately embarrassed in preschool when I accidentally said it in front of her teacher.

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  17. I find it hard to find time to read with so much tv, as well.

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  18. Erica, you better get back on Gmail chat so we can exchange contentment stories. You do know you're like one of my best friends on the Interwebz right?

    Signed, Stalker, er, I mean, Friend

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  19. Erica you are awesome!! Would it be against the rules for you to link up your own posts to Yeah Write?!? I want to read more of you.
    I agree with all these things except instead of yelling at sports through the TV, I yell at other drivers through my windshield. Same idea, though. "You're not doing it right!!!!"

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  20. Loved reading more about the amazing Erica! PS - I made a similar list of qualities I wanted in a husband - It's crazy how that works!

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  21. Oh I love happiness lists and love reading more about Erica, since I've now become a Yeah Write addict. Love finding all these new geeked out gals, pals and bloggers. Love it.

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