It Starts...

We used to have this video game that we bought for our niece when she was 5 or so years old. It was Lion King and right after it loaded it would say, in this real low, foreboding, liony voice, "It starts..."

That's what I hear in my head every time I think the word, "start," "started," or "starting."

Just like I always hear the mechanical voice in my head from the corner gas station where I grew up. In order to pay for your gas, you had to get a prepaid card from the cashier and swipe it at the gas pump. I think that's how it worked, anyway. The problem was that the card reader didn't work very well and so the stupid gas pump would repeat over and over again, "Try aGAIN." (swipe) "Try aGAIN." (swipe) "Try aGAIN." (insult) "Try aGAIN." (kick) "Try aGAIN." That's how we got down in Dutch Haven!

To this day, I cannot hear the words, "Try again," without hearing that mechanical gas pump voice in my head saying, "Try aGAIN," nor can I even say the words, "Try again," without saying it like, "Try aGAIN!"

Me and gas pumps...we've had this feud for long time now.

Anyway, school starts in the morning (Thursday) and I have nearly convinced myself that I'm actually excited about it. I'm excited for the teaching part, there's no doubt. But the... do your homework/do your chores/take a bath/eat dinner/stop teasing your sister/get ready for bed/stop arguing with me/go to bed... routine is going to take a little more self-deception before I can believe I'm excited about it. No worries. By morning I will have resolved to be more organized, get up early everyday, do dishes immediately after dinner and have the week's meals planned out. And I'll do a little more self-deception and convince myself that it's actually possible.

Wish me luck!

And please don't wish me to do something stupid! You'll get your wish whether you make it or not!