The Path of Self-Amusement...I mean Enlightenment

I've been thinking a lot about Mary Poppins. I've always loved Mary Poppins. The soundtrack. The dancing. The mixture of animation and real life players. Dick VanDyke. Great film, but there was always something that bothered me about it: Why on earth did Mary Poppins have to leave at the end? What could she have possibly been thinking?

This question was especially profound for me as a girl. I could never watch the film without thinking, "What the heck? Why do you have to go just because the wind changes directions? I mean really, you have a perfectly good gig here! Kids who love you and who are thriving in your care. A cute boyfriend who loves to dance. A magnificent city scape to surround yourself with. A lovely home to live in." I often cried at the end. Those of you who have known me since I was a small child can attest to my intensity and scepticism. Yes, even then.

Why would I be thinking about Mary Poppins and her messed up decision to open that umbrella? It must be because change is in the air for me, much as it was for Mary Poppins.

Here I have been utterly enjoying myself these past few weeks at my job/non-job and I am choosing to leave it. I am making this choice willingly. Have I lost my mind?

It is partially this woman's fault. Her promise to drive me down to the Russian village and then to take me down the hill on the back of her four wheeler-rain or shine or sleet or hail. (We drove together to the WW this week and she peeked in the window at me as I showed her the peace sign; meaning I'd lost 2 pounds. She then flashed me a thumbs up while she mouthed a profanity at me with a smile on her lips.)

It is also partially Irene's fault as she pointed out so bluntly a couple of weeks ago that, "Your inner social worker can not be suppressed for long. You know you need to go down and be with those kids at that school!"

a full moon in the east

When I was in the Russian village last week I could feel what Irene was telling me. I could see the good work that Suzanne and Andy do and I felt that, for whatever reason, if the Spirit wants me to go there for a little while I would go. This is something I obviously need to experience.

And so, as Jerami and I fool around with the vampire teeth that he had installed by our local dentist for Halloween, and that he will also have to have removed professionally, I can feel the wind changing directions. Oh! How I am going to miss playing around with him when it is time to go! But Spirit requires us to stretch ourselves and to respond to It's call.

When the time is right I will open my umbrella. I might cry. But...Now that I think of it, Julie and Dick VanDyke always knew that she would be back, didn't they?

On a different, non-Mary Poppins note, I pulled up to the house today and found that the Barbies have been doing some farming! You Go Girls!