Soccer Mom: Unplugged

Hi.  My name is Cate and it's been 9 days since my last post. [Hi Cate]

Just over a week ago my son pointed out the obvious fact that I have become a blog junkie.  It's not like I didn't know I had a problem ;-) but when my eight year old can walk away from his PS2 faster than I can back away from the keyboard, it's time for a reality check. LOL.  My son challenged me to steer clear of soccermom for a week.  I did.  He even gave me permission to write a "Dear John" letter to my virtual friends announcing my leave of absence but I knew once I put my fingers to the keyboard, I'd succomb, so I declined. 

Fortunately, when my son threw down the gauntlet (and his playstation controller with it) I learned and experienced some marvelous things.

(1) My son is a bright boy, a natural leader, and has incredible will power.

(2) Filling my mind with the negative news that pervades the MSM and the blogosphere is downright depressing.

(3) The world is a beautiful place, in spite of the evil that we know is out there, and my job isn't to just to talk about the dangers of the darkness but to shed some light.

(4) I may not be able to do as much to change the world as I want to right now but I can do a lot more than I thought I could. 

Honestly, after nearly a year of blogging I felt like someone opened a window and let the fresh air in.  I don't mean to say that the experience was a bad one - just that I have been very focused on discussing what's wrong with the world and not focused enough on being part of the solution.  This week my children and I jumped feet first into the world of community service.  And let me tell you, it's good to donate money but helping people face to face gives you a real appreciation for how blessed you are.  In the 8 years since I became completely absorbed with motherhood, I have really missed serving.  Sounds strange that a woman who spends so much time in selfless pursuits at home could miss 'serving' but believe me, community service is very different and gratifying in a completely different way.

Did I ever tell you about the man I met on the road to San Luis?  He was walking with a teenaged girl on his back and every step he took she winced or cried out in pain.  We were walking outside of town and he was descending from the mountains on the one higway going in and out of the province.  The local buses didn't even come out this far.  In fact, the only people who lived out this way were squatters who inhabited the villa miseria (misery villages) made of homes put together from bits of bricks or wreckage salvaged from the local landfill. It seemed clear that he must be taking this girl, his daughter, to the hospital which was still 10 km away.  My friend and I approached him and asked what the problem was - appendicitis.  We quickly decided to make to march back to town with this determined father.  We each took turns carrying the girl on our backs until we reached the hospital. 

I miss that kind of service.  In fact, I had forgotten that experience, it's been nearly 14 years since it happened, until this week when I sat down with my boys to make blankets for children in our local homeless shelter.  I know it's not a walk down the mountain, but it's something I can do right now with four little ones at my side learning to be compassionate human beings.

And so with that I bid you all adeiu.  I've got to get back to work.

P.S. Don't think for a minute I'm giving up the fight for my values,  I'm just going to spend my time winning hearts and minds the old -fashioned way.  I'll check in now and again and lurk on your blogs, perhaps even post once in a while.  Thanks for the kinship, the sparring, the fun and the enlightenment.  Everyone who has joined the conversation has refined my thinking on some level, even or perhaps, most poignantly, those with whom I've disagreed.  Someday I'd love to find myself sitting in a real coffeeshop with EB, Brooke, Barry, Michael, Dugg and Dayna and the rest of you who've stopped by.  If you're ever in North Carolina....