The Day Dreamer

Although I write mostly about MS it is not all there is to me. I thought it might be fun to do a post more about me as a person.

As a little girl I was very shy. Very is an understatement! I was so shy I hid behind my mother when we were out hoping no one spoke to me. I didn’t want any attention drawn to me what so ever. Whether it was because they were trying to include me or saying I was cute didn’t matter. I had been teased early on about the freckles on my nose. I’m sure most didn’t mean anything by it but some of the comments for a young child made me very  self-conscious of them. Like did you get stuck out in the rain and rust? I was told maybe I was left on the door step because I didn’t look like my siblings. So I figured if I hid they wouldn’t be seen. Problem solved. Unfortunately hiding didn’t give me the result I had hoped for. Instead it made people want to draw me out more. As though I needed to be fixed. I was  accused of being stuck up and selfish. I had no idea how that made me selfish. I wasn’t selfish. I shared my toys and anything else I had for that matter.

Around 5 or 6 it began to change. I went to school and found out all the little boys liked my freckles. No more hiding behind mom!

Looking back being shy might have been a good thing. I was very content entertaining myself. I didn’t need a lot of friends or for my mom to find things for me to do. I’m sure that is how I discovered my artistic side. I wasn’t the typical girl playing with Barbies, playing house, (only when friends were over and I played along to be nice) or watching TV. I much rather be playing like the boys and riding bikes. When I wasn’t doing that I was in my room. Drawing or writing. I loved to draw. I could see something, it might be from an outing or a picture and come home and draw it. I wrote stories, poems, and jotted down my thoughts. I had paper and notebooks hidden in every drawer. It was a peaceful place for me. I was still shy in some ways because it wasn’t something I shared with anyone. It was kind of my thing and I didn’t want anyone in that part of my world. My mom found some of my writing when I was 12. I remember feeling so uncomfortable. I wasn’t mad at her. She didn’t do it intentionally and she had all good things to say about it. I just wasn’t ready to openly share.

When I was 14 I started sharing some of my art with others. My mom was very supportive. She bought some supplies and encouraged me. Even showed my drawings and paintings to a few people.

Throughout life this has been an important part of my life. It’s my relaxation. My happy place. ( Not that I’m not happy but this is different) I have always kept a sketch book and a notebook for writing. I’m a daydreamer. I probably appear to be in la la land. I spend a great deal of time in my head. When I’m out walking or riding in the car I catch myself just staring. I’m certain people have wondered about me. Is she ok in the head? Ha ha! The truth is I look at everything. What might be just a building or a tree to most is something quite different to me. I look at the weeds on the side of the road, flowers, trees, mountains, animals, people. The way sunlight hits things. The shadows on buildings. The way a tree grows. I could go on forever.

  

As I got older my creativity took other avenues. Sewing, making quilts, gardening and building flower beds.

I love DIY projects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of my projects

Turning old into new and making it my own.

 

 

On a typical weekend or day off it wasn’t unusual to find me restoring furniture or laying a tile floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok so it’s still a little about MS because having this part of my life has helped me cope. It gives me something to focus on. Helps me pass time on tough days. It’s true I don’t do as big of projects. I keep them more manageable. Without this love of creating things I know I would have gone crazy by now.