Sunday, February 5, 2012

ACCIDENTS? ~ BLOG HOP #33

 

 

Often times, I think we call certain situations an “accident” when there would have been no “accident” had we not been acting willfully. Also, I am a believer of fate… Que Sera Sera, if you will.

I am sharing some incidents of my childhood that were classified an accident. But were they?

I would say that I remember these accidents like it was yesterday, but the fact is that I can remember something that happened 50 years ago better than I can remember yesterday… However, I am digressing early, so I will get to the story of “accidents” in my childhood.

It was common in my family for other family members to “make themselves at home” as they all put it. Meaning…you can do anything in most of my relative’s homes that you would do in your own home ~ especially if it was Gram’s house. I remember a time when Dad helped himself to some tuna and crackers, since Gram had already opened a can of tuna and then stored in a plastic container in the fridge. When Gram went looking for the cat food, we learned that Dad ate it all… Dad said it was good and tasted like tuna ~ the rest of us gagged…

Since I was accustomed to getting into Gram’s fridge, I once did it at my other Grandma’s house. I was not her favorite grandchild, but this one time, she didn’t say a thing as I helped myself to the last piece of cherry pie. Well, it was rubbery from being in the fridge and not the best tasting pie, but ~ Hey ~ I was hungry. A couple of hours later, I was puking my insides out…

I was about 9 years old when my cousin tried to teach me how to use the brakes on a bicycle. I just didn’t “get it”. Finally, in frustration, he pointed me downhill and gave me a shove. His parting words to me were these… “Now you have to use the brakes or you will hit the barn door.” And, indeed I did…hit the barn door. My Aunt had to take me to see a doctor about my very noticeably swollen left booby. Upon puberty, it was apparent that I would go through life with one booby slightly smaller than the other. I blame my cousin…

I like to think that I learn from my “accidents”, but that is not always the case. When I was about 4, my grandfather went into the cellar by way of the stone steps down from the outside. My Mom told me to stay off the steps because there was some broken glass from a canning jar accident that she needed to pick up. Being the willful child that I most certainly was, I began running up and down the steps. I tripped, fell and cut my finger. It was an interesting cut that created a flap of skin in a V shape. I bear the scar to this day, but I never stopped running on steps until my 60’s. But, I would if I could… Some things I never learned…

When my Mom & Dad got married, Mom wanted a baby right away. I was conceived 2 months after their marriage. I was no accident. My Mom called my 2 sisters “accidents”. Well, Mom may have thought so, but I believe in “what will be will be”. I can’t imagine life without my sisters, nor do I want to. My sisters are no accidents and I wish my Mom had never told them that. Words hurt… And so unnecessary… IMHO…

Were any of these instances really an “accident”? Maybe we should be more careful with what we label an accident?

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13 comments:

  1. Wow, that was a bunch! The cat food one cracked me up!! Oh, and all three of my kids were, um, surprises, but also wonderful blessings. :O)

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    1. My Dad never quite lived that one down. Of 11 kids in his immediate family, only 3 of his sisters and one brother are still alive. But, I imagine if you asked any one of them about Dad eating the cat food, they will happily tell the story. LOL

      Yes! Surprises is a much better word for your babies... Happy surprises!

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  2. Loved the cat food story and I identify with the 'brakes' story. My brother was a great believer in learning by doing! lol
    I was also an accidental conception, but I am sure my parents were thrilled by the time I actually got here. I'm sticking with that story, btw.


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  3. Great post. Doris Day's song was fitting for it. Shame on that cousin. Sounds similar to something my sister did to me... would have killed me too if not for divine intervention.

    Although my Mom swears I was planned, Dad called me his little Boo Boo. My mother truly was an accident, but it never seemed to bother her. Being the youngest of four kids, she was born when they were 17, 13, and 11. Sounds like an oops to me. But is that so bad?

    Joyce
    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com/

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  4. if you really think about it, darlene.. what is an accident? it seems everything has a purpose... sometimes we know the answer right away, sometimes it takes years and upon reflection realize what happened was just a path leading us down our own life's path.... hhhmmmm....

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  5. My personal belief is that no babies are ever accidents--just wonderful surprises or blessings!! Other accidents, I think happen for a reason--and hopefully we learn something from them.

    The story about your dad eating the tuna had me laughing pretty hard!! LOL. Great post Darlene :) Cheers, Jenn.

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  6. Que Sera Sera. I'm a huge Doris Day fan so I watched the clip twice. hears to a life of happy accidents!

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  7. This was great, Darlene! Hahaha!

    Beautiful little picture!

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  8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6KWnVh-JDs

    A series of coincidental accidents.

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  9. Well put as always Darlene. My first son was "unplanned" and thus deemed an accident but the years of smiles he put on my face convince me there was purpose. That is a mindset I use every day: It is what it is, let's see where it goes from here.

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  10. Those were fun and frightful stories... er emmm accidents you shared with us Darlene. I have to laugh about the tuna fish, because a friend of mine did the same thing, only the can was in the fridge with a bit taken out for the cat's morning feeding, and at that time it looked like pink tuna. He made a tuna salad sandwich, and then asked me if I wanted one. Uhm awkward... I said "I don't have any tuna in the house, where did you get that?" and he pulled the can back out of the fridge, and said "sure you do, right here!"

    I asked him "How well do you know me?"

    "pretty well I'd say"

    "well then why would you eat something that was in the fridge in a can?" I asked.

    "Tastes alright to me" he said.

    "You owe the cat dinner!"

    He didn't seem to care any more than the story you told. Tastes like tuna... hehehhehehhe that one will keep me laughing for awhile!

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  11. This made me laugh. So great to talk of about life's accidents. Love the booby story.

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  12. ha ha My Dad had a similar experience with some "crackers" that turned out to be dog treats!! I believe in things happening more or less the way they're supposed to. What a fun write!!

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