Myth busted

So after writing my blog entry for today, I did a little 'net snooping.

Turns out the whole lemming suicide leap is a myth, begun by Disney in their movie "White Wilderness" (1958). Other scientific studies point out that it is possible that during mass migrations, some lemmings may have fallen off cliffs onto rocks or into bodies of water, but it was never on purpose.

I could still have been a lemming but it's good to know any fall I might have incurred wasn't on purpose. It was just due to clutziness.

Small comfort.

Ground floor, please

I don't like heights.

I've never been keen on them but my dislike has gotten stronger as I've grown older, becoming out and out fear. It doesn't just keep me off high balconies and back from scenic views from on high. I even get nervous watching movies where people stand too close to cliff edges or venture onto bridge railings and such.

"Step back, step back, step back," I'll chant while scrunching deep into my chair as if I'm physically pulling back from the edge. I know it's all fake - it's action in front of blue screen and there's no 100 foot cliff drop in sight - but it doesn't matter. Just the illusion of height is enough to send me into heebie jeebies. It's irrational and ridiculous and I know it. But I can't help it.

Nothing like a little acrophobia to make life interesting.

I mentioned this to a friend recently. Turns out he shares my phobia. Not surprising since acrophobia is often listed as one of the top ten phobias.

He told me about a recent conversation he had with another acrophobic. She had figured out her fear was because she was afraid she'd jump off the edge. I don't think I'm afraid I'll jump (and gee, I really didn't need to have that suggestion implanted in my brain) but I do think I'm afraid I'll fall. I've never fallen off a cliff face before so I've no idea where this fear stems from.

Could it be because of past life experiences? Interesting supposition. My mind wandered as I pondered this train of thought. I wound up with the most unusual possibility.

Maybe I was a lemming in a previous life.

At least it would give me a good excuse for being afraid of heights in this life. I mean, seriously, if you had plunged to your death in an earlier lifetime, wouldn't you be a little leery of heights in your current existence?

Kitchen demolition

No, we're not having anything exciting like a kitchen remodel going on.

But, all the same, we are experiencing kitchen demolition, thanks to our two sons and 3 friends of our oldest. That's right, 5 boys between the ages of 14 and 16, let loose in our kitchen with teenage appetites. To give him credit, our oldest does the cooking for everyone. He really enjoys cooking and being host.

But he doesn't clean it up.

Every time I turned around, the kitchen showed the effects of tornadoes - 5 of them, to be exact - mowing through, spewing mess on every surface.

I'd clean it up, have a little heart to heart with the offending parties, only to find it once again a disaster area.

I think they hear like dogs. They might hear their names and food but the rest is all white noise to them.

And yet, I try again, thinking one of these times, I'll break through the sound barrier.

Wish me luck!

Extreme reaction

Last night, our oldest called us from work (another rite of passage, he's got a job, but that's another blog post). He wanted to know if his friend M could spend the night. He needed a place to stay, he'd been kicked out by his parents.

Wait, WHAT?!?!

Hubby and I were at a loss. We've known M for several years now, he's spent lots of time at our house and he's basically a good kid. What on earth could a 15 year old do that would warrant his parents booting him out of house and home? Our minds whirled.

We said, "yes" tentatively and told our son that we weren't completely comfortable with the situation (what were we getting into the middle of?) but we would not leave M without a place to stay. We also told our son that he needed to ask M what's going on - we needed to know. Do we need to watch M for signs of drug use, theft, dangerous behavior? Do we need to take steps to protect our own family?

Honestly, whatever hubby and I came up with that might warrant such action by M's parents, we could not equate with the kid we've come to know.

In the end, M did not have to leave home. After M's parents blew up and made the ultimatum, they calmed down and changed their minds. They are going to discuss things today. According to our son, blow-ups are a common reaction by M's parents, particularly by M's mom. That's some wacky family dynamics.

We still don't know what caused the situation. But we hope that should we find ourselves in a similar situation, we would react more calmly. We want our sons to know that regardless of circumstances, even when we don't like or approve of what they've done, they can always talk to us, we would always be there for them.