I'm Like a Fifth Grader

by Kris Pitcher

Today's blog is about how I'm like a 5th grader. And I don't mean to imply I am smarter than a 5th grader. I'm certain I am not.

I'm not even sure what I was supposed to be learning in the fifth grade. Government? I was sick that day. Multiplication tables? Visiting the nurses office. Spelling bee? Performance induced headache.

I do have a bed time though. Adhered to strictly, it's a point of humor in our household. On Thursdays, which are the end of my work week, we joke that I can stay up as late as I want to...past 9:00 pm.

My bed time is 8:30 pm. I'm not happy without my sleep. Just like a 5th grader. I have homework. Mine happens to be cardio. I like to complete mine first thing in the morning. Do I get a gold star?

Not everything is important to me. Like cleaning. If things are tidy, I'm good. I just don't have time to be a good house wife. And even tidy goes by the wayside sometimes. There just aren't enough hours in the day for me. If you asked a 5th grader, cleaning wouldn't be on the top of their list either. They've got stuff to do.

I love a schedule! Meal time, and snack time, when to get up, when to go to bed, when to exercise...I like things to be predictable. Knowing what to expect helps us feel in control...we all like that. It's comforting.

I want what I want. Fortunately, I've designed a life which allows for that. By keeping things fairly simple, I can have what I want. Most of the time. Within reason.

Part of that is wanting what I have. That's simple. Part of that is not concerning myself with having what everyone else has. In the fifth grade (and I realize things have changed) I wasn't concerned, yet, with wearing the right clothes, the right brand, etc. Clueless.

It's nice to be clueless. Now, I wouldn't say I walk around a fashion disaster, but I take the fifth on this one...I don't care what is at the mall right now. I don't need it.

For me, wanting what I want means getting up on the weekends when I want to, focusing on my sport, leaving the clothes folded on the coffee table and getting dressed in the living room for half the week. Who cares?!

It means taking a nap if I need a nap, or daydreaming, or writing...or playing with make up. All the things a fifth grader would naturally do. Dig deep and find your inner kid. He or she is in there just waiting for you to not take yourself quite so seriously. You could even hit those monkey bars?