Trina Machacek: Baby steps, big footprints, blue suede shoes

Spring is a grand time for daydreaming. The sun has finally come out for more than 10 minutes and hopefully you find time to sit and soak up some warmth. In your soaking time there is what can be described as the calm before the storm. Because before we know it the earth wakes up and the race is on to get everything done at once.

Farming begins, the yard, summer vacation planning. Kid’s activities that are never ending and as varied as the weeds will soon need to be attacked. But! Yes, a busy, busy “but.” I heard this a long time ago. Life is a marathon race, and somebody keeps moving the finish line! Oh, how true that can be as spring breaks and my list blooms.

In reality, when I look around at all the activity happening in my neck of the woods, I’m pretty lucky that instead of 923 acres I now only have 5. Oh, five can get overwhelming and I want to pull my hair out. Then I see others zooming and I breathe as calmly as I can that my list doesn’t include… Well, a new baby for one thing. Didn’t see that one coming, did you?

I know a couple who just became first-time parents. It’s an exciting time for sure. I can’t wait to meet the new little one. He has great new parents and a wonderful family to welcome him. He has a special name given to him by his mom and dad. However, I am the adopted grandma and to me the new little one will always be Elvis! Yes, Elvis.

As he grows, he will know that especially to me he is a “hunka, hunka burnin’ love.” If I had had kids of my own, my grand baby would’ve been Elvis. That was not to be, so when this little kiddo made his appearance into this world, I took the opportunity and have dubbed him Elvis.

I am very lucky that his parents are indulging me in this. Meeting me is just the first of many baby steps this little guy will take in filling big footprints in his life. Just think of that. When we are born, we already have things to do, places to go, people to meet and footprints to fill.

Somewhere, sometime, I remember being told that when we are born everything we will ever need to know is already packed away in our brains. That everything in the universe is in there, waiting. Holy cats and kittens Batman. How cool and kind of scary is that? Of course, there’s a catch though. Isn’t there always a catch!

The catch is that over our lives we have to dig deep and mine out the things in there we desire to know. That’s why when I am stuck on something I stop and listen for the miner in my head to get out his pick and shovel and tink, tink, tink out the information I need. The poor guy in my head is really old and tired. I have used him so often he has his own retirement plan. Instead of a 401k he has an 802z!

In life there’s always another thing to learn. To go mining for. Baby steps now, but Elvis has many steps to go in filling big footprints along his path. I hope one day he asks me a question or two about life. I think we all like to be asked what we think. Advice we have to impart. A great friend of mine has taken some steps along the path of life that I can see will only bring such a turbulent future. I have been in the position to share some of the things I have gone through.

Looking back an important lesson I have learned is this. There are a lot, I mean A LOT of advice givers. The best advice givers I know have done this first. They’ve all looked me in the eye and asked me two things. Why was I asking them, and if I was sure, really sure I wanted them to tell me their thoughts. I love that. Those two questions taught me so much. So much so that I ask those same questions when I’m asked what I think. When you tap into someone’s well of life you will not always like what you hear.

From me though rest assured you will know it will be honest and well-intended. I’ll give Elvis two things, advice, and blue suede shoes. Rock on little man.

Trina Machacek lives in Eureka. Her books are available wherever you buy books or email her at itybytrina@yahoo.com to buy signed copies.