Settling Dust or Estee Lauder Ate my Homework

I did not realize it had been so long since I had last posted. Life has begun its business again; and we are well. I did not, indeed, get the job that I had mentioned in my last post assembling parts for a large corporation; however, the cosmos has rewarded me with one that I rather enjoy. I am a fragrance and cosmetics girl at Macy's Department Store; a job in which I can assist people in becoming more scent-ual, and some people will actually let me squirt them with bottles of liquid sex. Joy! I didn't think I was such a girly- girl, but it seems, in fact, that I am. I used to poo-poo this sort of thing. Pah! Make-up every day? What a waste of natural beauty! Fragrances? I make my own, thank you! I was the proverbial pseudo-hippy, complete with opinions of mediocrity. Now, I'm leaning toward making sure my lipstick is on straight before I walk out the door in my heels; and I have a trail of Dolce and Gabbana to prove my femininity. Heavens!

We have even settled into the routine of a lack of routine. My retail schedule, mixed with the sometime schedule of my other job as a substitute in the local school district, (toss in my full time college classes), has made it nigh impossible for me to be attentive to the academic needs of my seventeen year old darling child. His grades--let us just say he is smarter than he lets on--are not conducive to graduation in another year and a half; and I am now forced to ground him for life plus a day. His recent engagement to his girlfriend, who I do believe is perfect for him, did not go over so well. I don't know if I have handled that situation as "motherly" as I should have (hmm, I think "raging beast" describes it better. His impression of James Dean didn't help much.); but, needless to say, they are not now overtly engaged, at any rate. I should have just let it go; let him do what he must; and let him learn from experience. Somehow, I think that's the only way he'll listen, and the only way it is meant for him to learn. Perhaps I have fallen on the whole teenage attitude/rebel reasoning...let them do it--they must learn the hard way. How very "witch-like" of me. (Insert evil cackle).

All in all, however, life has done its duty and moved us past that which we were so desperately trying to move past. As it should. As we should. There is a lesson in this. I hope I've learned it, as I truly do not wish to repeat it.