In the lyrics of Beautiful Boy there is a line sung by John Lennon, “Life is what happens when you are busy making plans.” I would attribute that saying as the cornerstone of my life and the basis of my storytelling.
Growing up in a large family and being almost the last (lost) child I ached for someone to listen to or acknowledge me. I had dreams of running away to Hollywood and becoming a famous actress. And boy would my family be surprised when they saw me up on the silver screen. I could imagine them sitting in the local theater watching me with open mouths gasping and saying, “I didn't know she could speak like that!” And when I was nominated for the Academy Award I would invite them to the ceremony and gloat when my name was announced as the winner! And I would never mention their name in my acceptance speech. Boy would they be sorry!
Then life happened, and instead of Hollywood I opted for marriage and children with the plan of living happily ever after – a white picket fence, gourmet dinners, perfect children, all with their PHDs!
Then life happened and the result was a divorce and a move to a new unknown city. Starting all over again. My plan of perfect life was dashed. My son became a drug addict living on the streets. My oldest daughter started looking for love in all the wrong places resulting in four children. And she finally married she got cancer. First born son came back from war with PTSD, and middle son has lupus and a brain disorder They have taught me more about love then any doctor could.
And my plan of the white picket fence? How about a three-story house on a huge lot, with critters and snakes in Superior, Arizona? But I had a plan! I was going to make this little destitute town the next artists’ community, and I would receive a Humanitarian Award for bringing this dead mining town back to life.
And then life happened, and I realized after a lot of effort that the town had no desire to be an artist community. They wanted to be a mining town. Instead of giving me an award, they gave me a label: WEIRD!!
So my final plan was "to show them." I will put my house up for sale,and I will move back to Phoenix, and live happily ever after.
And then life happened. My house sold on July 31. I got the payoff on August 1st and on August 2nd the new owner was killed in a plane accident. No will. So it looks like I will be here for years as the probate court sorts it out.
As I sit on my patio, watching the sun come up over Apache Leap, listening to the birds, I am ever so grateful for the life I have.
Oh yes. Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans. The small ironic thing is Lennon didn't write that line. He took that quote from Reader's digest article written by Allen Saunders. It reminds me to not steal my ideas about life from someone else's plans
The image at the top is of Apache Leap in Superior, AZ.
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