I Can't Call Him 'Bubba Flynn' Anymore

Flynn turned two last Saturday, the 23rd September.  Although he's been 'toddling' for 10 months now, I guess his second birthday also officially marks toddlerhood and the 'terrible twos' (the 'terrible ones' have been bad enough).

We headed to Perth for the long weekend, but, sadly, his birthday wasn't all that happy.  He's been suffering from an ear infection (he's had a fair few) for the past couple of weeks and will be requiring grommets.  His birthday involved screaming, a visit to the doctor, and yet another lot of antibiotics.

All that aside, I can scarcely believe it was two years ago I met him and saw his red hair for the first time, and remarked, "Hello, Bubba.  Where did you come from?"

I love him so much!

Peppa Pig cake he took to daycare on the Monday before his birthday.
Or maybe it's George...not sure (Duncan said it can be a 'gender-
neutral pig').

He didn't want his photo taken.

Nope, still not keen on a photo.

We had a small party for him in Perth.  He also loves dinosaurs,
so I made this cake. I got the idea from here.

Marriage 101: When Art Becomes Life

It's been a long time since I updated this series.

Recent happenings in my local town have prompted me to write this post.  A few weeks ago, I was considering auditioning for the latest play.  As I read through the script at home, I mentioned to Duncan that the two female parts to which I would be suited both involved romantic overtures, including stroking the face of a much older man, or wearing 'suggestive' outfits.  Duncan immediately told me he would feel very uncomfortable if I were to play one of those roles, even if it is 'only acting'.  I respected his wishes and did not audition.

Now I have found out that the two people who played the leading roles in last year's pantomime went on to have an affair!  The twist is that although he is single, she is a married mother, who I'm guessing is probably about fifteen years older than him.  The result is the ending of a marriage, children in a broken home, a devastated husband, a school community in conflict.  Both parties have left town....and aren't even together.  So, was it worth it?

This was a huge wake-up call for me.  Duncan was right to have reservations, even before we heard this scandal.  I might think it's 'only acting', but I have to be careful.  After all, how many Hollywood couples got together after playing on-screen lovers?  A lot!

This isn't just about acting.  I'm guessing most people reading this aren't involved in amateur theatre, but a heck of a lot are married or in relationships.  We need to be careful about how we spend our time with people of the opposite sex who are not our spouse.  I'm not saying don't have friends of the opposite sex, but be wise.  If you're single, respect these boundaries.

It's not worth throwing away your marriage for.

Related posts:
Lesson 9 from Sarah's School of Dating
From Head to Hand: Being a Christian Writer (just as relevant to being a Christian actor)

Gossip or Fair Warning

I like to take people at face value.  One of the negative things about living in a small town is that you inevitably hear ABOUT some people before you hear FROM them.  It's hard to give some people a fair go when your ears are ringing from warnings by the town gossips.  But, nevertheless, I do try.  I would hate it some people had made their mind up about me because of something (potentially) untrue that someone else had told them. That has happened because we are Christians and some locals don't like the church, so they therefore decide not to like us.  It's also happened because of where Duncan works.  He works for a corporate farm and some locals don't like the fact that farms were bought by a big businessman in Perth (never mind that he has brought heaps of young families to the town, but....I digress).  Duncan has had to put up with a few rude comments from some old codgers.

I remember receiving a warning from two (rather gossipy) people about another woman I had got to know.  As I got to know this woman, I found out that the gossip was untrue.  But, after a while, when the only interaction I had with her was via Facebook, I saw a different side to her.  She was quite rude to me online and I ended up unfriending her on Facebook.  I realised that what the gossips were saying had some merit.

That's the hard thing about friendships.  Sometimes people are nasty and start rumours that aren't true.  But sometimes they are just wanting to warn people not to become friends with a toxic person.  To be honest, I've wanted to warn others NOT to be friends with some people because of a negative interaction I've had.  At the same time, we're all different and attracted to different qualities in our friends.  A person I think is rude, you might think is lovely and vice versa.

It's a tough one.

The Pendulum: No-one is an Island

One of the key arguments for the 'Yes' side of the same-sex marriage debate in Australia is that gay people getting married doesn't hurt anyone else.  If it doesn't affect us, we just need to mind our own business.  (This article begs to differ)

That's the argument for many decisions people make every day....it's none of your business, it's not hurting you.  In a way, I agree.  Some of my decisions are mine (or mine and Duncan's) to make.  Why does it bother people if my child still has a dummy, or isn't toilet-trained by the time they think they should be?  Why does it bother someone else if we're against using the 'cry it out' method for sleep training?  Their sleep isn't being affected.

But that's not the case with all decisions.  No person is an island.  Some of our decisions DO affect others.  For example, I might decide that disciplining my children is wrong and they should be 'free spirited'.  It's all well and good to say that this parenting philosophy doesn't affect anyone....until my children go to school and their teachers have to deal with them, shoppers and diners have to deal with their unruly behaviour in public, other parents have to put up with trashed houses and disrespect during play dates.

Some of my decisions are mine to make.  God has given me freedom and, although others may have a different opinion, I will have to wear the consequences of my decision.

Other decisions have severe ramifications.

Think through your decision-making carefully.