going on strike

I like finding new blogs to read (there's always room for one more, right?). A few months ago I came across one called My 30 Day Strike. I was intrigued. Give up something for 30 days and blog about it. Why didn't I think of that? I actually met the author in person at the blogging conference I went to in May. I sat next to her during dinner at Noodles & Co. She's nice. And so very petite. I felt like a giant, but that's nothing new.

Anyway, that blog got me thinking about what I would like to give up for 30 days.

Chocolate...not interested. Why would I ever do that? I don't drink, smoke or do drugs. Where else am I going to get my buzz at the end of a crazy day? Oh, yeah. Diet Dr. Pepper.
Yelling at my kids...never. What would be the fun in that?
Sugar...already did that. Still doing it (mostly...except for the 5 cinnamon gummy bears I ate today and the occasional chocolate that I'm not willing to give up)
Ironing...that's a strong possibility. I'm totally willing to give up ironing for 30 days.
Exercising...that one's a good contender too. I don't really want to gain back the poundage I've lost though so it's probably out.
Make-up...mostly already do that one too (except for Sundays and trips to Target)

After giving it much serious thought, I decided that I'd go on strike from complaining for 30 days. I do that pretty much every day and I'm really good at it. Complaining comes so easily to me. The words just flow effortlessly. It's something I can live without. It's something my family can live without. I figured it was worth a try.

I knew I had to start my strike on the first of a month. That's the best day to start new things. But the month that was coming up was July. The crappiest month of summer. Ug. How would I make it through July without complaining about the heat? The bright, bright sun that comes up way too early, shines way too hot and goes down way too late. Could I make it through July without mentioning how much I hate to sweat? How much I hate yard work? How I wish it would just rain?

I decided that I couldn't do it. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to pull it off. Why sabotage myself? So I waited.

Then August came and I didn't really even think about the whole 30 day strike thing. It's a good thing too. All that complaining I did about the sun, the heat, the weeds, and the lack of rain did so much to help me be happy. Right? Nope.

So here's September. I'm doing it. My 30 day strike against complaining started this morning. I'm going to say that I made it through one day without complaining. The only people I talked to all day were my sister, her kids, her neighbor, my kids, the lady who sold me a Diet Dr. Pepper at the drive thru window and the kid who sold me two ice cream cones at Arctic Circle. Oh, yeah, and Dan. But I only talked to him for a few seconds as he was leaving for work and then a little bit in the evening. He was at work late for back to school night. I'm pretty sure I didn't complain about anything.

I'm not sure what I'm counting as complaining. Mostly the negative talking that I'm so good at. Like when Danny asked for noodles, a popsicle and strawberries for lunch today and I said, "What do you think this is, a restaurant?" Does that count as complaining? I'm hoping it didn't since his response was, "Yeah, Mama! It is a restaurant!" and it made me laugh.

I'm a little worried that losing the complaining will make me into a big fat liar though.

What's going to happen if someone asks me how I'm liking my short hair? I'll have to just say, "Oh, it's just lovely." See? Lovely.


Or what about when someone asks me how I like being backyard neighbors with Sanford & Son?


"Oh, it's just lovely." See?


Lovely.

Or when Dan comes home from work and asks me, "How was your day? How were the kids?" and Danny woke up before the sun and didn't nap and neither did Cate and she was his extremely uncooperative wrestling partner way too many times?

I'll have to say, "Oh, it was lovely. Just lovely."

Is it the lesser of two evils? Give up complaining and take up lying? It's a chance I'm willing to take. Maybe when I say lovely to all that stuff I'll have to actually mean it. Yikes. I'm up for the challenge.

Maybe I'll mix it up and say swell sometimes. Or groovy. Awesome is always a good one. If nothing else, this little strike will give me a chance to learn lots of synonyms for lovely.

I'm feeling hopeful about this. Hoping that by getting rid of the complaining, I can be happier. Hoping that my kids can be nicer to each other. Hoping that our home is filled with more positive and less negative. Hoping that when the 30 days is over, I'll just keep on going. Hoping for a chance to find the good in things instead of the bad. Hoping to be more thankful and less critical. Hoping for a change.

When I started thinking about this strike in June, I came across these words of wisdom.

"I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and problems of life, and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we concentrate on the positive. I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we halt the sounds of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort.

I am not asking that all criticism be silenced. Growth comes of correction. Strength comes of repentance. Wise is the man who can acknowledge mistakes pointed out by others and change his course of action.

What I am suggesting is that each of us turn from the negativism that spreads through our society and look for the remarkable good among those with whom we associate,
that we speak of one another’s virtues more than we speak of one another’s faults,
that optimism replace pessimism,
that our faith exceed our fears."

President Gordon B. Hinckley

One day down, 29 more to go (or more...hopefully).

Wish me luck. I'm gonna need it.

And please don't ask me about my hair.

Or the weather.

Or Dan's snoring.

Or the lack of naps around here.

Or puke, boogers and poop.

But mostly my hair.