It is a delight to be the spouse of a hard working, joy-filled, dedicated man.



Friday, November 7, 2008

Being Dyslexic

I am a competitor at heart and so when I do stuff I do it up as best I possibly can.

Most people who are dyslexic are so with numbers or letters. I am so dyslexic that I most often say yellow when I mean red and red when I mean to say yellow. It happens always when I am looking directly at the color I am speaking of and often when I am just thinking of the color.

My children have grown up with a mom who, while clearing off the breakfast table, will hand them a jug of milk and say, "stick this in the bathroom."

My brain consistently misfires.

So I think it is funny that my daughter believed me when she asked how long her dad and I had been married and I answered that we had been married for thirty years and was she going to do something about it.

If I think about numbers I mess them up all the time. If I picture them I mess them up which is what I did on this occasion. I thought I would picture the current year and compare it to the picture of the year I got married and when I did I saw two numbers ending in zero. 1980 and 2080. Zeros meant an even numbered anniversary, and an even numbered anniversary meant it had to be our thirtieth.

Anyway it doesn't much matter how I did it, I am not hopeful for a cure for my brain's misfires, it is just to tell you a funny story about how my girls tried to throw us a thirtieth anniversary party this weekend. It would have been great even if it wasn't our thirtieth because our actual anniversary lands smack dab on Saturday this year.




It was to be a surprise and it would have been. Which is a huge feat, considering that my married girls involved the two here at home, just the proximity alone would have been occasion to make a slip for most folks. But this had to be nearly death defying for my youngest, she is our reporter, she absolutely has to be the one to tell all the days events immediately. She cannot be put off. It is almost as intense a need as her need to shop. So for her to keep a secret like this... the implications are great.


Well girls, nice try. Now that we have cancelled the party you will have to promise to try again. You know, next year would be a good try as well as the year after, which if we count real slow we will see that that is actually our thirtieth. But who needs to be that accurate, lets shoot for next year! Oh heck if we can throw accuracy to the wind on the year why not on the date too, think about a summer party - outside! People are always celebrating anniversaries and birthdays on a different day or sometimes as much as a week difference, and I say what really is the difference between cheating by a day or two or a few months? Or a couple of years for that matter!

Thanks again girls for the thought and effort.

4 comments:

Melli said...

So what'd ya cancel it for??? Sounds like it was the PERFECT time for a 30th anniversary party... and a little lift of the spirit too!

Mike the Stone said...

It was canceled for Dale's memorial service, happening hours before the party was meant to.

And I think we need to be fair and point out that it was you, dear Lanny, who first brought up the fact that it was your 30th this year, and would the girls be doing something since they missed your 25th (why did we miss your 25th? I can't remember that far back). And it was only when she wanted to confirm that Michelle asked which anniversary this was.

And you forgot to mention another hilarious manifestation of your cranial disconnect: the fact that when you are trying to call one of your daughters, you usually call them ALL the other names before you get to theirs. "Hey Steph-chelle-bet-ANNA! Can I have some coffee?" That's probably my favorite.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Quite interesting on your dyslexia, Lanny, and also quite funny in regard to parties. Good ideas!

KathyB. said...

All this to say...HAPPY ANNIVERSARY whichever one it may be ! To friends and special people who deserve a party , whenever !!!!

In a way, it is fitting that your wedding anniversary will be forever linked to the memory of Dale...and Dale would have it no other way than to be linked to "who's your best friend ? " ...."Jesus !!!"