IT IS WHAT IT IS

When we moved into our newly built home in 1977 we had installed gold shag carpet. Are you….laughing…at my shaggy gold carpet? That’s not nice. Being new, the carpet needed to be vacuumed—a lot for all the loose fibers. One day my neighbor Sharon brought over her two sons (she later had a third), so that my six-month-old son (my first born) could be exposed to other children.

We talked.
They played—sort of.
My son was sitting on the floor, reached down with his baby puffy hand, picked up a wad of gold fluff and stuffed it in his mouth. He swallowed.
I was young. I sort of lost my mind. I reached in his mouth to see if it was still there. In those moments, I wondered if he would need surgery or his stomach pumped. In that moment, I decided I couldn’t take care of a child, if I let him eat carpet then what was next? I concluded he should be removed from my home. I said with tears in my eyes and fear in my heart, “Oh no, he ate carpet.”
Sharon laughed and said, “Oh, he’ll eat a lot worse before it’s over.” And she said, “The carpet will…come back out—don’t worry.”
He did eat other things: dog biscuits, bugs, head and shoulders etc.
I would like to say that was my last mom meltdown, but it wasn’t.  
I have learned some things:
·         It doesn’t help if you blow your top or things out of proportion.
·         Life happens.
·         It is what it is.
·         Most importantly, I’ve learned, no one should ever put down gold shag carpet in their home. Not even if the world promises shag and the color gold are here to stay.
Making things more than they are is wrong on so many levels. It is what it is.
Happy Wednesday!
JW
PS Can you see the gold carpet in the photo?

Comments

Melbourne Girl said…
...and happy days to you too JW...yep, it certainly is what it is and everything comes out, or should I say, works it's way out, in the end
lol
Lesley
xx
Catherine Noble said…
Some sage advice there :) Something to bear in mind before my next meltdown!
We learn a lot from motherhood, don't we? Ha!
Great advice from somebody's who's been there done that. Geek Son would rattle 'round in the dog food in his sleep and EAT IT!

I fed him well, really! Heeehehehe!

My DIL, the Latin' Lovin' Hillbilly 'freaks' and so does my daughter the Social Butterfly. Now, I'm the one sayin'...no worries.... :o)

Enjoy this beautiful weather we're havin'!!! I'm livin' outdoors~
Unknown said…
Great advice. I've done some pretty stupid parenting things. But, my kid's still alive and for the most part, normal.
Lynn Proctor said…
it is coming back ya know--the shag stuff--funny stuff here!!
Sally Wessely said…
I laughed at this one because your story reminds me of me when I was young. I feel so silly when I think about it now. What can I say? We wanted to do it all perfectly. Yes, I see the yellow carpet. I had ORANGE shag. What was I thinking?
Hi Teresa .. I remember lots of 'dangereuse' things happening to us as kids .. and we're here to fight another day ..

Sounds fun though .. I had a cream (well it was!) shag pile carpet in South Africa - it's hot there .. we inherited it as we moved in .. it stayed and we moved out separately!!

I gave you a shout-out on my 2nd Reflections post ... your Grim tales were great .. and did you look at the link I added to one of my comments here?

Cheers Hilary
At least it wasn't green shag carpet.
Connie Arnold said…
Ha, I remember having shag carpet. Mine was more brown with a little gold in it. I don't remember my children eating any, but certainly can relate to your post. It's amazing what kids will do!
shelly said…
Funny post! Last week, I wote one on my own Moronic Motherhood Adventures.
Ruth said…
I had shag carpet in my house when I moved in. In 1999. Ugh.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
It looks easier than it is.
Anonymous said…
Yep. I remember shag carpet and the rake we sued to keep it standing up. Ah, what memories. Groovy!
Pamela Kieffer said…
Lucky for us someone out there has been there before.
Anonymous said…
SO true! Your carpet did match your couch,was it velvety like mine? I need to remember "life happens", and I had bright blue shag to munch.
Like A Monarch
Anonymous said…
SO true! Your carpet did match your couch,was it velvety like mine? I need to remember "life happens", and I had bright blue shag to munch.
Like A Monarch
CM said…
Oh that is the cutest picture ever, what a sweetie!!!

I totally know how you feel. My younger son swallowed a band-aid! I called poison control and I think they thought I was nuts. Apparently band-aids are bio-degradable....who knew!

Popular Posts