By Way of Explanation

Alright, I didn't think I'd have to do this, but let's set the record straight. LIFE IS NOT TERRIBLE FOR US. In fact, it's pretty rosy. And, most of you know that not only am I a terribly persistent optimist to a fault, but I also don't tend to wear my heart on my sleeve looking for pity.

So what's up with the last post you ask?

Well, I  like experimenting with viewpoints and phrasing things from different angles. I also happen to think I'm pretty clever and funny and a bit of a wordsmith. None of this is true - I just happen to believe it about myself.

So when I set about to post an update last night, I realized, "hey, this could be made to sound really depressing." Well, I wasn't wrong.

We love our friends and family and are grateful for your concern. That said, I had a fantastic birthday and wasn't actually looking for birthday wishes and the only thing that's made Katie depressed is the fact that I wrote that post last night.

I know, I know. I'm pretty pathetic. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Yes, we were trying to buy a house and yes, it didn't work out. But I only let you see a very small slice of the whole pie in the last account. In fact, that house falling through is actually in answer to my wife's prayers. We don't have to go into all the reasons here, but it was good for us and in our favor that it didn't work out.

We live in a strange place where the public schools don't feel like public penitentiaries, and even the preschoolers get ipads for doing their schoolwork, and you don't have to set your alarm to apply chapstick in the middle of the night, and speeding is allowed before 8AM and after 6PM (well, at least it's not enforced...), and people have grass because they can't get rid of it rather than watering it with their blood because water is too expensive, and we get in accidents almost everyday because we can't stop looking at the beautiful area, and a million other reasons.

Sure we still miss family, and friends, and green chile. And mostly in that order. But, our biggest problems are seriously that the most renowned donuts and ice cream in the state are 2 blocks away and we are on a diet. I buy them for my coworkers in the morning just so I can watch someone else eat them. That's not even a first world problem. It's much worse. It's first world self control.

Every change and transition is uncomfortable. I could only make it sound convincingly bad because there is a little truth to every viewpoint in life. The fact of the matter is, it is only how we look at our circumstances that separates disaster from opportunity.

The other lesson is: words are powerful, and can unintentionally elicit emotion and concern even when flippant and especially when carelessly used.

Life is good. Our family is good. I will try to keep my writing experiments to myself. I'll probably fail, because at the end of the day I'm just kind of pathetic like that.