Memphis, TN
9:53 PM
My five days in Memphis have flown by. It’s been a lot of house time, but when you are spending it with your family, it makes it all the better. My nieces are awesome. I’ve said it before, but being a parent wears you out. Two kids with a boundless supply of energy, going full bore from the time they wake up to the time they pass out, it doesn’t leave a lot of time for much else. And I’ve been caught up in the kid whirlwind reading books, watching movies, coloring, playing, and eating. Kids’ houses have great snacks.
Sometimes those of us without kids wonder why it takes so long for our friends with kids to call us or email us back. Don’t take it personally. They are so busy doing things that checking email or making phone calls is not high on the list. They want to spend time with their spouse. They want to spend some time with themselves. Or they just want quiet. I’ve been here for five days and know that quiet is at a premium.
On my journey I’ve been privy to all sorts of jobs. What I see when staying with families is that raising kids is the hardest, most time consuming, sometimes frustrating, but the most gratifying job there is. When the time is right, I’ll be ready. And I think I’ll be pretty good at it, but not just yet.
So now I finish up my packing and get ready for a doozy of a travel day. It’s 2 1/2 hours from Memphis to the Little Rock airport. I’ll drop the rental car, then fly out at 2:30 to Baltimore and then arrive in Buffalo at 10:30. From there, I drive an hour back to Rochester. Long day. But a great trip.