A Wrapping Cabinet

3 Comments April 19, 2016 drworobec

I have a wrapping cabinet. And it brings me so much joy.

What’s a wrapping cabinet, you ask? Well, a wrapping cabinet is just that; a cabinet that houses gift-wrapping supplies. My wrapping cabinet has a hanging shelf for giftbags of various sizes and occasion, coloured tissue paper, ribbons and bows, and enough space for several rolls of wrapping paper to stand. It’s in our basement, in the corner of the room, with a large, open area of carpet beneath it. I have boxes of greeting cards, gift tags for every holiday, and even bacon-printed wrapping paper.

These supplies are things that I’ve accumulated over the years, and yes, I am that person that folds all the tissue paper that comes with the gift bags I receive at Christmas and birthdays, and re-uses it again, wrinkles and all. I am nothing if not ecologically thrifty. But the part I love the most about my wrapping cabinet, the part that brings me the most joy, are the thoughts I have about the person for whom the gift is for. I value my relationships above most other things, and I find giving to be a great way to outwardly express my love for the people in my life.

Now, I’m certainly not talking about spending wads of money and being extravagant and excessive. I’m talking about sending the perfect card for the perfect occasion or finding the perfect offering for the perfect person. I take great pride in gift-giving and card-writing, and often buy things months in advance, knowing they will make the eventual recipient very happy. I’ve been known to mail care packages halfway around the world, spend more on shipping than the gift itself, and send birthday cards week ahead of time. It’s the act of giving, the thoughts behind giving, and the emotion involved in giving that makes me so happy.

I love to sit in front of my wrapping cabinet with a cup of coffee and a pen, and find the words to convey my thoughts onto a 5×7 birthday card. And I’m definitely better at communicating through the written word than I am the spoken word (hence this blog), so perhaps that’s why I love it so much. I’m able to say what I really mean, and channel the strength of my emotions.

Wrapping cabinets are good for the soul. Trust me on this one.

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Judgey McJudgerson

2 Comments March 29, 2016 drworobec

I went to the Garth Brooks concert in Hamilton this past weekend. We had incredible seats, 12th row on the floor, which my friend managed to snag online amidst the five-sold-out-shows-in-forty-five-minutes madness back in January. I’ve seen Garth once before, but with floor seats this time around, the experience was even better. Growing up on country music, I knew every word to every song; the nostalgia, the energy of the crowd, and the showmanship combined for an unforgettable night.

There were many passionate fans in our area, and we were surrounded by cowboy hats and homemade signs. But I was especially intrigued with the lady directly in front of us. She was likely in her late 50s, there with her husband, and she watched the entire 2.5-hour performance through the lens of the camera on her phone. Now, I’ve been trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, as I’ve mulled this over in my mind for the past couple of days. I hope that she was recording each song for a dear friend whom was not at the concert. Perhaps she was being kind and generous and documenting her experience so that she could share it later, and perhaps my judgement is misplaced and unnecessary. But what about the hundreds of others who were doing the very same thing? Were they all being selfless and recording the show to simply share with others who couldn’t be there? Or were they all falling victim to the smartphone, record-every-moment game that we’ve become accustomed to? Now I will admit, I did record a 10-second sound bite to show my kids, and I did take about a dozen photos. I’m not against cameras, or phones, and certainly not against photos. But what I am against, what I do have a problem with, is living through the lens of a camera app rather than through the lens of life.

The woman I’m referring to held up her phone the entire concert. It was in video mode, and I saw her press “record” at the beginning of every song, and “stop” at the end of every song. Every. Song. And, in fact, our seats were so close to the stage, that Garth actually appeared smaller and further away through her camera than if she had just put down the phone and watched the show. So even if this person was planning to watch every song again at a later date, I’m having a hard time understanding how the potential enjoyment of that could be greater than watching each song being played live, front and centre, in the heart of the action.

Believe me, I’m as guilty as the next person of falling victim to the smartphone culture. I use my phone routinely and Social Media is a part of my daily life. And perhaps it’s just my recent unplugged March break that’s making me hypersensitive to this put-down-your-phone topic. However, I heard an interesting fact on the radio recently: Catherine McKenna, our Minister of Environment and Climate Change, turns off her phone from 5:30-8:00pm six nights per week, so that she can focus on her family. Brilliant. I’m going to follow suit.

And in the meantime, I hope the lady in front of me is thoroughly enjoying her replay of the Garth Brooks concert; perhaps this time she’ll notice that he waved at us.

A Conundrum

Leave a comment March 22, 2016 drworobec

We just got back from a wonderful March break vacation. We spent a couple of days in Florida, and then went on a four-night Disney cruise through the Bahamas. It was as magical as you would imagine it to be; after all, Disney does magic like no other. This was a vacation more than two years in the planning, and we travelled with dear friends of ours who have a child similar in age to ours.

We had sun and sand and waterslides abound (Travel Tip: when attempting the tube slide at Disney’s private island, be aware that you will shoot out the bottom like a human cannonball and end up choking on Caribbean seawater; fun for the whole family to witness.). It was a week to remember, and our children, ages seven and four, are the perfect mix of old-enough-to-participate-in-everything and young-enough-to-believe-in-everything. And that’s where my slight hesitation comes in…..

Let’s not call this a problem. There are bigger problems in life than Disney cruises. Let’s not even call it an issue. Let’s perhaps call it a conundrum. Yes, let’s call it that, because conundrum is not a word I have ever used in a blog before and likely never will again. My conundrum is this:

Disney princesses are a big part of a Disney cruise, and perhaps a big part of the whole Disney experience itself. In fact, you have to line up just to get tickets that allow you to line up to actually meet said princesses. Now, my four year-old daughter is not what I would call a girly-girl, but she is somewhere between that and a tomboy. She likes to wear dresses, likes to have her fingernails painted, but also likes to have messy hair and play road hockey. Perhaps she would also like shoes and jewelry, but having me for a mother, she has not been exposed to much of that. Sorry ’bout your luck, kid.

But I played along, and we packed her princess dress and her crown, and lined up to get the meet-the-princess passes. My inner feminist was screaming “why?” Why am I encouraging this? Why am I teaching my daughter that she should strive to be a princess? I believe in independence! In strength! In celebrating accomplishment rather than beauty! Has Disney not read my blog? Harrumph.

And then I dialled it back and ate a Mickey bar. And I realized that imagination and wonder and make-believe are all important, incredible things, even if they come to us in the form of a makeup-ed, hair-sprayed princess. My little girl actually believed that she was meeting Princess Anna and Queen Elsa. She felt happy and confident and inspired. And you know what else? She actually believed that she was a princess too. So that’s a wonderful thing.