Spontaneous, Moi?

Sadly not. Actually I can't say that I've ever been a really spontaneous person, even when I didn't have three kids, a dog and a husband. I didn't take a gap year because I knew deep down I would roam the planet till I was 35, then face the reality that I was qualified to do nothing whatsoever to earn my keep and end up doing a degree with 20 year olds. No thanks.

As you'll know from last week, I'm off to  Miami with some girlfriends on Thursday, but this is about as far from spontaneous as you can get.  We talked about it all year, booked it in January (after much calendar/diary checking on my part) and I packed at the weekend when I knew I would have a spare  moment. Since the dog ate my best black sandals and I had a good throw out at the end of last summer, there's not a lot to pack. I am counting on the girls doing their usual shopping frenzy and this time I am joining in. I suppose you could call "packing not nearly enough, with a view to buying it there" sort of sponteous, but that would really be stretching it wouldnt it?

Anyway, the reason for my introspection is that an opportunity for real spontaneity occured on Monday evening (I know,  - a school night) and I failed the test. My neighbours had tickets to see the sing-alongable James Taylor and Carole King concert here. (I know it's way before many people's cognitive memory, but if you'd had a friend with a big sister who played them all the time, you'd want to see them too.) I had thought about buying tickets months ago, but May/June is a crazy school time when you have three kids who insist on doing end-of-term instrument recitals, baseball games, graduation activities etc.

So, at 6pm on the evening of the concert, I'm up to my eyeballs preparing dinner, listening to Little Guy's piano recital piece and trying to stop the dog from mud-walking through the house, when my neighbour stops by. They suddenly have an extra ticket, so do I want it? "Come on - be spontaneous". Queenager is chanting "Do it, do it" behind me, which of course, since the Ball & Chain was watching man-child playing baseball, means that Little Guy and dog will wander the house till I get back.

Did I grab the bull by the horns? Did I throw caution to the wind. Did I seize the moment?

Of course not. I was wearing sweaty clothes; I wasn't showered; hadn't fed the kids, yada yada.  Pah! It's all very well citing spontaneity but the reality is.......

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