'Cause I Wanted To Fly, So You Gave Me Your Wings, And Time Held Its Breath So I Could See, Yeah, And You Set Me Free

--"You Set Me Free", Michelle Branch

I shall be having a very special houseguest at the end of July. For a long spell now I've been angling to get my favorite Kentucky gal pal down here. With summer upon us she finally found the time for little 'ole me and will now be gracing my presence with her indomitable spirit and dazzling intellect. Never you mind the fact it's been awhile since I had some proper company around these parts aside from my husband and the usual suspects; it'll just be nice to have someone to impress again.

When Toby comes I can recite all my favorite stories about this town where I grew up, about the times I had when I was only so high, about what it was like to be me, only at a younger age. That's the thing about getting older being surrounded by the same people--they've heard all your stories, they know what everything means to you, they can almost gauge your reaction before you have it in any situation. On one hand it's nice having folks who know you so well. On the other hand, like my daddy says, "you can only hear the same sermon so many times before you have folks sleeping in the pews." I like my tales, you know? But do you know what I like even better? I like having someone to tell them to who hasn't heard them before. I like showing my town off to people who've never been there before. I like having people stay in my house who I've never had as guests before.

And, hell's bells, I'm telling y'all right now, I will be spoiling that gal silly when she's down here. She's the closest I have to a niece or nephew, and I intend to ruin her for "real" family. haha

She and I have spent a considerable amount of time discussing what it's like to grow up in a larger family, what it's like to be the youngest in a family. Being an only child I only know what it's like to have all the attention focused on me. Her stories about how her parents were almost too lax with her guidance-wise never cease to intrigue me. She never really had to fight to gain her independence. She was allowed more liberties at a younger age than I ever was. Conversely, she and I have had a few conversations about what it's like to be the star of your family--not just my immediate family--but the whole extended circle of kin that I possess as well. She's never been anyone's miracle baby. She's never been the one to grab hold of the spotlight, to have so many others place that much scrutiny upon her. As she said, she's more used to introspection and not extrospection. The burden she's placed on her shoulders have always been more than the burden others have laid upon her.

All my life I've tried to live up to a standard have set for me. Being successful, being intelligent, being well-mannered and cultured--those have always been qualities I had drilled in me. Dancing, writing, maybe running--those were the only hobbies I had which I felt were only for me. But I never really minded the push to impress people. It's only when the quest became obsessive that I felt the desire to push myself away from the grind. Over the years I've had so many mentors when it came to people whose talents and experience I admired that it truly seemed I was being passed from one to the next, culminating in the fully-rounded gal who sits here now.

That's the other reason I wanted to bring the youngest of the SFoM members down to these parts. I reckon it's about time I start being that mentor for somebody else. Who knows if I'll ever be a mother, you know? Maybe the closest I'll get to that bliss is passing on the wealth of my experience and the lifetime of hard-learned lessons onto other gals in search of some answers. I'm not claiming to have all the answers, but I've compiled a few truths in my day. I'm kind of relishing the opportunity to preserving my knowledge with individuals who can fully appreciate them. Miss Frisson is a good kid. The last thing I reckon she needs is somebody telling her what to think or what to do. It's my belief, though, that like any good auntie, there are things you can teach without preaching to someone. I think there's a lot more to preparing a person for life than can be explained in a classroom or church setting.

Most of all, though, I'm anticipating having a hoot-and-a-half with somebody I consider among my closest friends. If some knowledge gets spilled in the process, well, then so be it.

Breanne