Monday Morning Musing

Life lately has been full of conundrums that need to be figured out.  The problem with conundrums, is that they are comparable to a jewelry box full of fine chain that has been allowed to knot up; it is not going to be easy to untangle the whole mess.  I am sitting here musing, with my third cup of coffee, about this worlds tendency to obsess about health and to sacrifice living for the sake of health.  At the same time I am looking at networking invitations and wondering what the point is.  Yes, I realize to a sane person those two things are not connected, but my brain is way too busy to be sane.

Keep up, we are moving on, back to the networking thing...

I have met some great people at the networking events I have attended over the last 5 or 6 years.  I can count the amount of business I have gleaned from them on one hand.  I've handed out business cards and stumbled through the explanation of what I do, because my being an art photographer confounds a lot of people.  I have defended my small business and tried not to make excuses to why I can't go to this other networking thing, or work with this other group because I have three munchkins at home. I try not to bring up the fact that I have kids because then I get the look of, "Oh, you have young kids, why are you even here?"  or "Wow, I can't believe you're here?"  or "I want kids, but I'm too busy right now."  Then the conversation pretty much dies or turns into a discussion about munchkins.  It never seems like much networking to me, and the bigger the event, the more I am going to just be standing there not knowing what to do.


I am probably just going to the wrong events.  I need to be talking with interior designers not Realtors, boutique owners not financial consultants... 

As I am pausing to think about this, making plans for researching and calling people to set up meetings...

oh wait, I have kids. 

Deep breath. 

Sit back and wait. 

Maybe one day.

For now, I can manage to work at home, on my computer, because I do not have those kinds of kids who I can take with me to anywhere that requires them to sit nice and quiet.  I have kids who want to talk with everyone and who play and move and do what kids do. 

 

And there are three of them, which I know is not six or eleven, but it's enough. 

They poke and prod at each other until the other does something: giggles, snaps, yells, says something inappropriate. Oh yeah, and then there is the part where I have to discipline them in public because sometimes, their behavior is just not appropriate and, like dogs, if you tell them later on, they lack the reference point to fully understand what you are talking about. (Yes, I know I just compared my kids to dogs....it's not the first time).  I know there are people out there who do not appreciate the fact that I speak "harshly" to my children and not in some overly patient voice (I ran across some in a parking lot the other day).

My kids have personality and spunk, which means they are nowhere near those perfect kids who sit quietly with their hands folded and only speak when spoken to. My kids are also polite, mostly respectful (I say mostly because the 5 and 2 year old are still working on it and even the 9 year old sometimes forgets his manners) and intelligent munchkins.  They are munchkins though and the only reason why they are such polite and respectful children, is because they are taught to be.  I am sure there are ways to raise children without a harsh tone but I don't have the patience for that, beyond the fact that I have seen kids work the system.

Where am I going with this?  I don't know, just ranting I guess.  Maybe another mom who works at home will read this and realize that she is not alone.  Maybe a young woman who is wanting to start her own business and a family will see that no matter what society wants to tell girls, kids do change your life and make doing what you want to do, more challenging.  I just got up this morning with an urge to write/rant.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah McTernen
Photographic Artist and Jewelry Designer
www.ardentphotography.com
http://smcternen.etsy.com
http://ardentlife.etsy.com