So the other day we had a really good weekend. A nice mix of seeing friends, trying something new, and quality family time. Then we had another. And another.
I thought about how much the kids are enjoying school, and how I don’t freak out every single time I’m behind the wheel of the car.
I did the math, and it came together. It’s been about six months.
So yeah. That seems about right.
So after the boys were sick for a few days and then we had some work done in the house, I went a little stir crazy being stuck inside and planned a whole bunch of stuff to get out of the house. Drastic pendulum swing in the other direction. It’s what I do.
As a part of Operation Get Out of the House, I hit up the National Textile Museum with a friend. It has interesting displays on batik, weaving, and all sorts of other techniques. Again, I was blown away by how fascinating this place is because of the influence of so many cultures. Also, it was free!
We decided to hit the gift shop on the way out. As one does. Upon entering, three things were immediately apparent. (1) The gift shop housed oodles of gorgeously printed garments. (2) A cover of Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On was blasting on the radio. I mean blasting. I found it to be distractingly loud. (3) Other than the lady behind the register, we were the only people in the store.
My friend and I perused the wares, running our fingers over the lux fabrics. I contemplated purchasing a tunic. I ambled over to my friend and joked, in what I thought was an inside voice and FAR away from the shop employee, that we’d have to head out to escape the Celine Dion cover. Ha ha.
At that moment, the music stopped. We heard someone ask, “was I singing too loudly into the microphone?”
I froze. My heart stopped. It turns out that the fabric screens behind the register hid someone who had been singing. Live. Into a microphone. (TWIST!)
I immediately felt truly terrible. My eyes started to tear up. This was much worse than that time I flashed everyone on the beach because I hated to think that I caused another person pain. But even though I felt lower than low, I was much too embarrassed to apologize to the person behind the curtain. I didn’t know what to say.
So even though I felt like a worm, I was definitely like COME ON. There is someone HIDDEN singing LIVE in the deserted gift shop in the free museum? REALLY?! That’s just ludicrous. What are the odds??
But it was an important reminder to be the person I’d like to be in all aspects of my life. Err on the side of kindness. Err on the side of discretion. Use your inside voice. Not just because you never know who is listening, but because it is the right thing to do. ARGH. I’m learning. It’s hard. I will try harder.
Writing this still make my gut clench, but I hope you have a little chuckle at my expense. It is funny. I just wish it hadn’t happened to me!
Happy weekend everyone!
We did it. We made it through three flights to arrive clear across the globe. (Oof, those flights. More on that later.)
Kuala Lumpur, or KL, is the capital of Malaysia. The greater KL area has more than seven million people. It feels like it. Especially when you’re driving.
KL is 12 time zones different than Eastern Standard Time. This is farther away than Rome, but I’m finding it to be easier. It’s a snap to know what time it is back home. Also, instead of just one call window, I have time in the morning and evenings now when I can call. I’ve been trying to hype this as a positive for the grandparents. I’m not sure they are convinced. Yet. Muhahaha.
There’s a lot of great stuff here. And some things we’re finding challenging. You know, the usual. Here are some of my early thoughts on KL. This is my first time in Asia so much newness all around.
Roman Reboot 