CLICK HERE FOR THOUSANDS OF FREE BLOGGER TEMPLATES »

Sunday, January 27, 2008

The Vintage Limo Monologues #7: On Being Dangerous

I went to a birthday party last week and a boy told me there in a secretive whisper "My mom won't let me ride in a limo until I am 13". Sofi invited 10 girls to her birthday party and one cannot come because her mom (told the girl, not me) that riding in a limo is not good for her!

I find it amazing the number of things parents can find to be worried about. The last thing in the world I imagined was that my limo would be one of them. So, now I imagine there is this little clan of women going around whispering about how much damage I am doing to my children by letting them ride in a limo.

Ah! If only I could answer them I would tell them - It is people who think like YOU that were part of the reason I purchased it in the first place. If you scroll down to one of the first entries you can see that one reason I offer free rides is that I think one thing we all don't get enough of in this society is people telling us we are "good enough" or we "deserve something special". When was the last time someone said that to YOU?

Children mostly hear, "That food is not healthy, that game is not healthy, that activity is not good for you, don't be greedy, don't this and don't that." and we grow up thinking it is wrong to ask for anything and that we don't deserve anything. I have struggled with this my entire life. To this day I find it hard to charge people even when I am doing WORK for them!

As adults we rarely hear about how special we are and how we deserve the best. There is a lot of emphasis on serving our kids and our spouses and giving equal time to things and volunteering and the church or school. But there is nobody out there telling us - "take care of yourself and you deserve a treat".

This was of thinking in life has fostered an entire group of people who feel inadequete, are scared to ask for the things they need and are unable to earn enough money because deep down they think they don't deserve that much or they think "rich people are greedy and I don't want to be them".

So what can you learn by riding in a limo as a child? A lot!

1. You deserve the best - no matter what kind of day you had and no matter who you are you can ride in a luxury car and have someone open the door for you.

2. Luxury and Superiority are an illusion. There is a lot of show in life. Someone needs to own a certain car or wear certain clothes. Having a limo as a single mom on a budget is like my own private joke. It is laughing at the stereo types. It is saying "hey - having the right clothes and the right car does not MAKE you who you are. You ARE who you ARE no matter what car you drive or clothes you wear". I am a single mom on a budget who eats granola with plain yoghurt every morning and loves alternative schooling and natural healing. So...see? The limo didn't make me who I am. It is almost a joke that I drive one!

3. When you have something nice like a nice car or nice clothes, or nice house you should SHARE! A lot of nice cars are only driven by one person, a lot of nice houses with 16 rooms are lived in by a couple with one child. So we have a nice limo and we drive all our friends around in it, I volunteer for birthday parties, I offer people rides, I donate rides. I love sharing. If more people who had nice things would share then what a different world it would be! So how about it? Can I come over and watch a show on your BIG SCREEN TV? Or bring my kids over to swim in the backyard pool?

4. It teaches you to be brave enough to do something different for your own reasons. The kids all know the reasons I have the limo (1-3 above and more) and they see that I am not "doing like everyone else". I hope this inspires them in their own lives some day.

5. It teaches you a sense of humor. How silly is this anyway? To go through a car wash or a drive through in a limo? To get dropped off at school in a limo? To park a limo in your driveway??? It brings out an appreciation for the absurd in life!

And much more...but those are it for now. I have work to do!

Blessings & Health,
Kristie
www.thedreamangels.com

The Vintage Limo Monologues #6: Learning Self Care

You know how they make kids dress in those frilly little tight-shoed outfits to go to Sunday School? There is a reason for that! When you are dressed so nicely there is just someting that happens to you...in your mind you feel less capable of messing around and fidgiting. I used to think "I look silly wearing this pretty dress and playing in the mud or swinging my feet or...whatever".

The same thing happened to me driving the limo. Now, perhaps it is just me. Perhaps it is all those years wearing frilly dresses in church that prepared me for this moment. But however it happened the moment has finally come when I can say that I am cured. Cured from 23 years of not bring able to keep my car washed. Cured of abusing every car I owned!

Because when I had a "car" it seemed to me fine that it was not always washed. And you know the ole "make the bed" theory...why make the bed when you are just going to mess it up again at night???? Well, I always thought the same about my cars. I would wash them when it started to get dark inside because of the build up on the windows!

But there is something about looking at a dirty limo that is just "wrong" somehow. It looks sad, weird, strange, not "right". I can't quite put my finger on it but in my head there is this stereotype of this shiny white limo and when it isn't shiny it just looks like...well, not a car and not a limo. I don't KNOW what!

So we went through the drive-through. Mr. Car wash offers wash with all the bells and whistles and all you have to do is put your car in neutral, roll up the windows and watch the pretty chemical filled soap in various colors rain down on your car. Funny, we were the only limo there today...but everyone else had a dirty car too - so we had at least one thing in common!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #10: TO MEET MEN

I can' tell you how many men have come up to me and asked me about the limo and started conversations with me. I actually feel guilty. I am a mom with three kids and I am really not interested in meeting men. But I have a lot of gal friends who might be. Perhaps I should lend them the limo for the day?

Anyway, these are my two most memorable meetings:

1. A month or two ago I was at the gas station. The limo was all washed and I was feeling all happy with it and it was a nice day and I was smiling. A gorgeous young man came up to me and started asking me questions about the car. I was happy to share. I am fascintated with the car myself so it is interesting to learn more about it and what other people know about cars (This is coming from someone who used to identify her last car as "purple"). So I chatted on happily and very flattered that this gorgeous young hunk about half my age would even talk to me. Then, as I was taking out the gas line and getting ready to get back into the car he asked me if I would be interested in hearing about The Church of....

Ah! That explains the suit! And I guess he could smell my "vanity" a mile away. Good method though. I fell for it! Cute guy, flattery...who could resist?

Too bad I had to drive off somewhere on an important errand.

2. Two days ago I was parking my car in the grocery store parking lot and the gentleman who was putting the carts away stopped me. "Yah trying to save money on gas?" He laughed. I laughed back. "Yah right! But I don't drive much actually. I work from home so I drive only a couple times a week." Then he started to talk about the car "You know if you got a new paint job and fixed it up and..."

I had to speak up to defend my baby! Oh, she does not need new paint. She is just dirty from sitting in the snow for a couple weeks. Just needs a new cover or some repair there. And the inside is completely re-done. Ok, I can't believe I am defending a CAR!

He looked at me skeptically and continued his imaginary repairs, "...and then you could be a limo driver!" he finished with flourish.

"I already am," I replied, "I have 3 kids I drive around all the time."

Well at least I've graduated. I used to have a bumper sticker on my car that said "mom's taxi" so now I can say I am "mom's limo". Cool!