Famous Last Words...

How many of you have found yourself eating crow over the many things you said you’d never do?

Here’s my short list:

1)    Be a coffee drinker

2)    Eat sushi

3)    Run (without someone chasing me)

4)    Become a teacher

5)    Be a SAHM

6)    Pay more than $100 for a purse

7)    Bleach/highlight my hair

As far as that last one is concerned, I haven’t seen my real hair color in so long, I’m not exactly sure what color it might be.   It’s probably a lovely shade of dingy mouse brown…I really have no idea.  In fact, my own husband has not seen my real hair color since we’ve been married.  The last time I tried to rediscover my natural hair color, my stylist accidentally transformed me into a redhead and six shampoos with Prell combined with lots of sobbing and pleading would not get it out.  Back to blonde I went.  Identity crisis averted.        

Here’s the truth – we should all listen to our mothers when they tell us “be careful of the things you say you’ll never do.”  Of course when we heard that little piece of advice at the exceptionally wise age of 18, we naturally all acted surprised and indignant at the mere suggestion that we didn’t really know ourselves.  And we when heard it again as we decorated our first nurseries and bought our first pack of diapers, we just knew we’d be better parents than those who parented us, because we (unlike our parents) had figured out how to be the perfect parent before we even have children.  *cough*  That’s why my son has a glowing turtle constellation nightlight in his room right now.   

I’ve personally gone back on all my “I’ll never” speeches so many times, I’ve learned to equate that list of non-possibilities as items that will eventually find their way at the top of my Five Year Plan. As in:  become an avid coffee drinker…check.  Add running to my list of “hobbies”…check. Teach English to mini Japanese humans…check.  Postpone five figure salary, business suits, and twice a day commuting in favor of stay at home mommy hood….BIG CHECK.   Then it should have come as no surprise when I uttered these famous last words:

“I will NEVER homeschool.” 

That, that is EXACTLY what I’d be doing.

So, I’m currently consuming a lot of crow with a big slice of humble pie.  Chewing it thoroughly.  Savoring it.  Discovering that despite saying I’d never do it, I’ve suddenly become homeschooling’s biggest advocate.