After I got my free potatoes the other morning, a stream of vans with frugal housewives drove back behind Steve's storage building all day and helped themselves to potatoes. I figured they must be all gone by today but then this evening Paul said there's still a bunch there. So I biked over to see for myself.
He was right. There were probably 300 pounds or more still lying there, unfortunately starting to go bad from lying in the sun. And half a dozen Mennonite women were bent over, sorting out the good ones and bagging them up.
I called out, "Looks like somebody's having fun!" as I pulled up. And they all looked at me, and one said, "Now don't go putting us in the newspaper!"
Oh dear, is everyone that crosses my path paranoid that I'll write about them?? Really, I try to be careful, but after all my job is to write about my life, and if you are a part of my life and do or say something interesting, how can I help but want to write about it??
Incidentally, the question I am asked most often about my column is, "Do your children mind if you right about them?" My answer is two-fold: a) No, for the most part they don't mind. In fact they're very blase' about it. Someone will say, "Ooooooh, I saw your name in the newspaper today!" and they'll say, "Oh, is that right. Hey, did you hear that Kellen Clemens was picked in the second round?" b) They always have veto power over anything I write about them, before I send it off, although I have been known to bribe.
We also have veto power over the stories Paul uses in his sermons, although when he was ordained I told him I am willing to be embarrassed for the sake of a good illustration.
Maybe God knew our family would be under the microscope and gave us special grace to deal with it.
And I must add my favorite quote from Anne Lamott: "If people don't like what you've written about them, they should have treated you better."
Quote of the Day:
"Yay! I finally got the chest hairs!"
--Steven, when I gave him a haircut on Friday night, and a bunch of little round black hairs were sprinkled across his chest. Why do all my children want to grow up so fast??!!
chest hairs!!!!!!!!!!! what a hoot! and maybe the reason few people comment anymore is due to some of the sensitive people who take offense at innocently posted comments? too bad we have to be so careful in life to not offend - why can't we work equally hard to not be so offended and just lighten up?????????
ReplyDeleteI don't care if you write about me as long as you get the details straight. I hate it when you write about, say, an argument that I had and you say that I said about fifteen things that I didn't actually say.
ReplyDelete~Emzel
Whenever God calls a man to the ministry, I think He gives special grace to the whole family simply because the entire family is more in the public eye. I say this from experience, and I don't always like that fact, but I've learned to pretty much get used to it and deal with it as well.
ReplyDeleteThe Baritone
Oh yeah, I should add this: Keep up the good work, Dorcas, you're doing fine.
ReplyDeleteThe Baritone
Well, I have to admit that I have many times wondered at the secret juicey stories that DON'T get written about !!
ReplyDeleteI've been in yoiur house and know some that don't get written down. (Except maybe in your daughters' diary...)
Those bad hair days, stupid comments, embarring events... the ones you choose you politely overlook or that get edited by the perpetrator...
Someday one of your kids will take revenge and probably write a book of some of those things you didn't include...