I Have a Problem with this

I have a problem with the very depressing subject in the movie Revolutionary Road.It has bothered me since I saw the Oprah episode about it. Basically it's about how life in the burbs turns people into uninspired, lifeless shells of the people they used to be. This bothers me ...a lot. Both characters find that they have fallen into the monotonous routines of daily life : work, home , work, home or cook, clean, cook, clean. Their life depressingly begins to spiral down around them.
I get it. I feel the monotony of the daily grind. I need a break in the routine. I can totally relate. I live in the burbs, my husband leaves the house for work everyday, I take care of the 3 kids, we have 2 mini vans, 1 dog, a privacy fence...yeah, we are the typical suburban American family.
Could we fall into the crazy cycle of unfulfilled boredom and depression that happens to Leo and Kate in the movie....sure...but we don't and here's why: We each do things that make us feel special, happy, unique. I think this is especially important for women who work in the home. Many of our husbands go out to work each day and get a pat on the back or do a job they love.
Although we love our jobs as moms, we want to feel special right? We want to do something we love that makes us unique. I fell into a rut for years where I seriously could NOT think of what I loved. If someone asked what I liked to do, I could not remember. I could feel myself sinking into that depressing vortex.
Then photography came back into my life. Creating art filled a place in my heart that had not been touched in years. It's something tangible I can look at and feel good about. I'll never be a nationally know photographer, but it fulfills me.
I started to run. The more I ran, the better I felt. The farther I ran, the prouder I was of myself. The runner's high can sometimes give me a lift for days. I'll never come in first place at a race, but running makes me feel special.
This year I started to learn to play the guitar...what a feeling it is to pick up a hollow piece of wood and metal strings and create beautiful (well, not quite beautiful yet) tones. I'll never have a grammy winning CD, but I just love playing the guitar.
I have found things that make me happy in addition to my family. I think that is important.
I LOVE being a wife and a mother. I LOVE taking care of my family..but there is so much more to us than that. What makes you feel special and unique? What do you do just for you? What do you do that makes you feel like the real you?What makes you happy?

Comments

[Stacy]

Oh, I totally agree with you. Look around you and you will find unhappy people that don't allow themselves to do things THEY enjoy. It definitely makes me a happier mommy because I do things I love, while still living a suburban life.

The movie looks good, but yeah. Hollywood must think we are totally boring LOL!

[Chasity]

i REALLy want to see this film and i picked the book up when i was in Seattle last week because i figured i had a better chance of reading the book than seeing the film. yup...the rat race of life can get ya before you know it. this is why i have a close relationship with my friends vodka & tonic. :)