Excuse #1: Nope, can't do it. Can't afford to spend money on such frivolity. We're on a tight budget here.
Excuse #2: Are you kidding me? There's no time. I'm too busy with all the crap I'm already doing.
Excuse #3: My family is way more important. The precious time that thing would take up should really be spent with them.
Excuse #4: That activity just does not jive with my life philosophy, sorry.
Excuse #5: What thing? Oh right... Um, I totally forgot to sign up for that.
Excuse #6: I'm gonna fail! I'll be freakishly incompetent and everyone will make fun of my ridiculousness.
Excuse #7: Seriously, I don't have the character to see that through. Eventually, that thing will bore me and I'll end up quitting, so why bother even starting?
Excuse #8: What if I discover I'm good at it? Will I have to do that thing, like, forever? Naw, I'd rather not open that can o' worms.
Excuse #9: Will there be lots of people involved? Because I'm way too shy to be around all those strange folks.
Excuse #10: No! I do NOT perform/learn/hear/see/feel/eat/breathe well in that kind of large/open/loud/busy/small/closed/quiet environment.
I've spent the last few years putting this handy list, in its entirety, to very good use.
Case in point, I've been considering taking a painting class. See, there's a little art school just down the street. I've looked into their painting classes on many occasions. They offer watercolour, oil, acrylic painting. You name it, they paint it. Yet I've never seen fit to sign up. I've walked past the little art school for the nine years that we've lived in this house. And for nine years running, I've found excuses to not take a class.
Until a few weeks ago, that is.
A few weeks ago, my husband put his foot down and made me do it. He made me spend the money. He made me find the time. So for eight weeks I'm spending every Tuesday afternoon in the company of kind strangers in the little art school down the street learning to paint with acrylics. It's intimate. It's scary. And I may fail.
But you know what? I'm loving it. I'm getting out of the house. I'm spending time with other human beings. I'm putting aside my Top 10 List - for now - and, by gum, I'm trying something new.
Above is my very first class assignment. It's called "The Boy" of course.
♥M
P.S. Thanks for your understanding regarding the blog feed situation. We've managed to fix it now, so Michele Made Me should be updating smoothly once again Jiminy Cricket! A big hug to my blog guardian angels for helping me put things right. Thanks a ton for saving me, you guys!
