Courious George Makes Pancakes

I have a question for you Dr. Phil-wannabes and counselors. Should you put yourself into situations which you know will be emotionally painful, or should you avoid those situations all together when you can?

That scenario came about this weekend. Saturday I loaded up the kids and headed to two events that have long been a staple of the Howerton’s Spring. First, we went downtown and ate at the Lion’s Club (not to be confused with the Lion’s Den!!! Totally different - or so I have been told!!!) Pancake breakfast under the big tent. Amanda loooooves to do this event every year and this year the weather actually panned out and was absolutely beautiful except for the near gale force winds that blew all weekend. We always bring up the fact that they could have used Curious George to make the pancakes like in the book we read. This was Luke’s first trip, I think, and he will know now to look for the big blue and yellow tent next to the train tracks for a good breakfast. Next time, though, one of you have to come with me to help with the logistics of a stroller in grass, a fidgety boy, a girl with syrup-flavored hair while trying to navigate the trip to the table with 2 styrofoam plates, 4 pancakes, 4 links of sausage, 2 cartons of milk, and 2 packets of utensils while trying to explain that the tent was not going to fly off like a kite. (I learned that if I eat prior to going my stress level is much lower due to a full stomach.

After the adventure in pancake-land we went home prior to going to the Cardboard Boat Regatta at SIUC campus lake. This yearly event (which was started at SIU many years ago) was one that Cindy and I tried to go to every year. Most years it was either too cold or too rainy to make the trek to watch cardboard sink. Amanda reminded me that she and Cindy went there last year. I am sure the SIU Yard Sale at the Arena had something to do with that!

Anyway, this year I was fairly ok with going.... we were meeting friends and really didn’t think much about how emotional it might be until Amanda melted down on me just before we left for the lake. I calmed her down but I was upset because she had been upset. After we got there, this flood of emotions came over me.... it wasn’t just the cardboard that tugged at me... it was Bucky’s Dome pavilion. You see, that dome near Campus Lake was where I had proposed to Cindy. It was there that she said "I think I am going to throw up." It was there that I ended an argument and started the path that I am on now. I took Luke for a walk away from the group I was in and headed to the new walking pier on the lake. I totally blew off that group with no explanation and had a few quiet moments by myself. My apologies to the friends who I left wondering what was going on. I was mostly ok, until Amanda joined us for our walk and wanted the proposal story again as we walked by Bucky’s Dome.
Again, is it better to avoid those situations which are painful to the bone, or best to avoid those? I say if you can get through the pain... all the better. Pain equals memories and memories equals a life I was a part of.

After all I also enjoy eating pancakes under a big top, sinking cardboard, and geometrically shaped pavilions.