My life would suck without...

Good morning!

So the radio station I'm stuck with at work after Bob and Brian sign off is playing Kelly Clarkson's song, "My life would suck Without You." I'll admit it, it's a song that gets me in a dancing mood, bad knees and all.

But the song got me to thinking, if someone or something in my life were removed, would my life suck?

If I weren't married, didn't have kids, didn't have a mortgage, didn't have that weird stain on the carpet that I cover up with a throw rug, would my life suck? Would it be better?

Well, I wouldn't miss the weird stain on the carpet. I wouldn't miss the endless laundry, dishes, and shoes removed and dumped in everyone's path. I wouldn't miss the bills, the fights over curfew, over the car, over dinner. I wouldn't miss those nights when hubby snores so loud I have to sleep on the couch or in the office.

So, if I weren't married, didn't have kids, maybe my life wouldn't suck.

But then again, what else would I be missing?

School projects, which I always dig doing, for one. And concerts. I love going to concerts no matter who's playing. Going with my kids, even though it embarrasses them, is a blast. I love going to Summerfest. Since I don't drink beer, I have the best time hanging in the back rows at the alternative stage, watching the up and coming bands and their young fans. It keeps me young. Sure, I'd go to more Rick Springfield concerts, which wouldn't suck at all, but who would be at home, waiting to mock me in that familiar way that families all have? I'd go to the concert with friends, then come home to...what?

I would be missing frozen pizza. It's hard to be an adult and have frozen pizza in the house. I don't know...it seems like such a kid thing. That and chicken nuggets, pizza rolls, and Oreo cookies. I would miss that. I'd probably wouldn't eat more fruit or veggies than I do now, so nothing would improve there. And I really do like pizza rolls.

I would miss my memories of the younger years when we went to the zoo, the beach, the museum, the library, whatever. Just get in the car with a bag of snacks and juice boxes and go!

My life would definitely suck without those.

And maybe I'd get more good nights of sleep if I weren't married. But then I wouldn't have my best friend, my husband walking through life with me. We have such a history together, even our own endless inside jokes spanning more than twenty years. My life would suck without those!

I'd probably have more money to spend on myself without kids and a husband. More than likely I'd be living in an apartment, which would suck for my neighbors given how loud I like to crank my Rick Springfield tunes when I'm doing the dishes. Of course, I wouldn't have as many dishes to do which means I'd listen to less Rick music, and then my life would suck MORE!

My writing career would probably suck without my kids and my husband, too. Tom's my biggest cheerleader, which is amazing, since most of what I do is completely foreign to him. The kids, well, the kids were the inspiration for my first attempts at humor writing. Someday I will have a shelf of books dedicated to the endless material they've given me. I just have to get past the teen years, which aren't all that funny all the time.

So I guess I'll take what does suck in my life right now and smile. Because, without it all, my life would suck more.

Here's a writing exercise for you: What part of your life could you cut out? Would your life be better or worse?

The answer might surprise you.