Being UNoriginal can be just fine

I’m embarrassed to admit I searched for my blog on Google tonight. No matter what I typed in, the results came back with that woman who takes pictures of kids dressed as grown ups giving each other roses and such. You know the photographer…right? She is everywhere. Can’t get away from her. My art website is lost in a sea of Kim Anderson’s cutesy kid calendars and greeting cards. It’s almost as bad as being mistaken for the Kim Anderson of Missoula that puts on the Festival of the Book. I’m sure some of you know her…I’ve never met her but I hear she is wonderful.  Sometimes people I know give me credit for her good work. I wonder if she gets any credit for mine? Are you the Kim Anderson that wipes the bottom of a baby every two to three hours? Tell me about your latest pursuit in keeping the bathroom floor clean…fascinating. Now, please don’t get me wrong here. I feel gratitude every day for being lucky enough to get to stay home and actually be with my third child. I missed this time with my first two and while I loved my work as Development Director of the Youth Homes…I can’t get that time back. I’m soaking it up with my third and I’m more available with my first two. So life is pretty great. But let’s be honest. Transitions are the stuff of movies specially made for the Lifetime channel…hard to sit through. So I want to be completely forthcoming…this blog is a selfish pursuit. Its helping me face some insecurities in my head (“wow…you really can’t run a mile?” or “no really Kim…you aren’t that funny” or “Ooohhh, you do have some time on your hands now that you are at home”). But I choose to blow these wimpy thoughts wide open to the five of you that actually are reading this ( “Hey Mom!  What's up Dad?") I’m hoping my determination to be a bit courageous with this will hopefully serve the purpose of both giving me my needed motivation to keep moving and letting you all in on what the Youth Homes does for kids. That being said… a good friend reminded me…this blog is largely for me and thus I should not worry if it is doing what I want it to do for you…my (ahem) audience. This theme of transitions will inevitably creep back into this blog from time to time…it’s a big one. Just ask Hannah (see previous post if you need to catch up).

By the way…when I was in need of affirmation that this blog exists in the bigger world…I found MANY references to "Reluctant Runners" out there…including a woman in Canada who is doing a FULL marathon for a charity. Let’s just put that one to bed now…no FULL marathons in my foreseen future largely in part because I feel the blog duties would be too daunting…HA! Besides I can’t bear the thought of being that unoriginal even if I do like the company.

P.S. Let me know you’re out there...become a follower (see bottom of left side bar - shout out to Numero Uno... Kevin!)  If you do this…I promise to stay quiet for a few days…shameless bribe technique I perfected in motherhood.