Position is Everything.

That I write romance novels probably had something to do with the title of this blog catching your eye. What are you thinking? But now that it has your attention let’s talk about it. Position is important. My first skirmish with it was as a child. I was one of those unlucky girls that shot up early and was taller than everyone in my class. The fact that I was told they would catch up with me and I would not forever be condemned to a life of boys shorter than I was didn’t help at that time. So, like all girls in this situation–I slumped. My father, who had a thing about standing up straight, added to my misery. “Stand up straight! Head up! Shoulders back! Don’t hang your head.” As self-conscious as I felt at the time, it was do it or listen to my father’s lectures. By the time I hit high school the others caught up with me in height but by then I had developed good posture that had become a habit.

Just about the time I thought I’d put posture behind me position came into play and I found myself in a high school typing class. Yes, you young people out there with mouths gaping in disbelief, it was called a typing class, not keyboarding or something else techy sounding. We beat hard on the keys to make a nice clean print on the carbon copy and we slammed that carriage back. Almost everything was timed and you didn’t want to have the carriage not go all the way. Hitting that carriage must have been very therapeutic. We all seemed to be pretty emotionally healthy. Into this mix marched the typing teacher whose name I have long ago forgotten. I think of her as being like my father on steroids. She was tall, thin, dressed very businesslike and when we came to class we were expected to assume the correct position. “Sit up straight, back against the chair! Head up, feet flat on the floor! Arms at your side, not out like wings! Hands over the keyboard, wrists straight, not touching anything!” She felt strongly about it. To this day I sit down to type and I put my feet flat on the floor, back straight, etc. My father is gone now and I’m sure the teacher is also but I still have a feeling that if I slump one of them will reach out and tap me on the shoulder.

I watch my grandchildren slouch on the couch, laptop on their knees, head down. Their position looks uncomfortable. I’ve tried working that way.  My fingers are aimed wrong and I keep making mistakes and having to start over. Mostly I feel guilty. So now when I want to work in my recliner or on the couch I take a pen and paper. When I’m ready I go to the laptop on my desk and I type it up–feet on the floor, back straight, head ba…

A bronzed chair?

A friend’s post today set me thinking about the fun and happy memories we all have with our kids and grandkids that we want to preserve. My grandkids are graduating next spring and that will be the end of the soccer games and swim meets and basketball and track and the list goes on. It was fun. I also have fond memories of the hours I spent picking them up from school for dentists, orthodontists or doctor appointments, or to an early or late practice for one of the afore mentioned activities.

Transporting a teenager is a good time to bond. Contrary to a lot of people’s impression, kids do want to talk to you. You just have to get them started. You do that by asking questions. I read often that it’s poor manners to ask people (kids, neighbors, relatives, friends, sometimes even strangers) personal questions. However, experience is a great teacher and it has taught me that if you don’t ask — nobody tells you anything. And it often lets them know you care. In any case, to get back on track here, it was all a good time and there are so many good memories.

How do I preserve those? If I used pictures of every game and every movement the kids did that was exceptional and put them in albums the house would list. Luckily, the perfect answer popped up. I’m going to have the folding chair that has resided in the back of my car for several years and been my faithful companion for all those good times — bronzed! Where most people have that odd chair in the corner that no one likes or sits in except for overflow company I’ll have my bronze folding chair! When I miss my grandkids and those times with them I’ll go sit in it and close my eyes and remember. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.