Confe$$ion Tue$day

Forgive me reader, it's been seven days and one St. Patty's day since my last confession. I confess we put green dye on everything yesterday. We ate green mac & cheese, drank Kelly green water, we added it to our vanilla pudding and made St. Patrick Day pies. We put in the water of a white daisy, if you were here, Reader, we would have dyed you green as well. And reader, I am only Irish on my father's side…and my name is Kelli with an i.

Let the confessions begin--


1) I'm worried about the US economy. I not only feel as if we're up Sh*t creek without a paddle, but we're drilling holes in our own canoe just because we’re convinced our boat will always stay afloat. And when someone says we're sinking, we laugh and drill more holes.

2) I confess that living with this administration has been the longest 8 years of my life. I can't handle another moron with a drill or a paddleless canoe rider. I pray the next president will not be the living/breathing example of the song, “If I Only Had a Brain.” I also pray the next president will either be a “she” or someone with a unique name.

3) I confess that even in all the fear and worry the television shouts out, I confess I’m thankful for what I have. And I know that if the stocks fell, I would not be the investor who jumped from a building. It’s a good reminder these days that the only things people cannot take away from us are—our character, our values, our beliefs, our voices (at least not yet) and our educations. Even our good spirit. They can try to dent it, but they can’t take it away unless we let them. The rest of it, we’re just renting here on earth. Did we actually think we *owned* that piece of land we’ve mortgaged? Nope, it’s just borrowed. We’re renters on earth and really, we don’t own anything.

BTW, if you’re feeling stressed or concerned with the economy and your money situation, check out The Circle of Simplicity by Cecile Andrews from the library. It’s a great read and will remind you what’s important and how not to suffer from Affluenza.

4) I confess that I’ve been thinking about others lately and how really, I think most of us are just trying to do our best in the world. I think about the families that have long commutes and what the gas prices are doing to their budgets. I hope you’re all doing okay out there. I hope while things feel tight or tough, we can still find things to be thankful for—friends, family, the landscape outside our windows. Maybe it’s a good reminder to think about what we really *need* in life to be happy. In the end, it’s never the material possessions that will complete us, but the interactions with others and the travels or adventures we had.

I confess I struggle with “the money thang” sometimes being a poet whose money comes from surprise occasions and irregularly. I think it's tough to be an artist in this world, but I think it's also incredible fulfilling to be an artist in this world. Sometimes I have to remind myself not to equate the importance of writing to how much I make. But right now, I’m very thankful for my family, my friends, and my time. I can welcome you into my home and make you tea or coffee and serve St. Patrick’s day pie. I am thankful I still have time to write a poem, or not. I am thankful to have opted out of a busycrazy life and I hope one day I can look back to this time and understand a little better what exactly I am here for and hope I somehow made a positive difference.

I confess this confession is very thinky.