Tongues, Ties and Time

As much as I've been so completely immersed in all the preparations required of a big move, I'll admit that I'm also still in a state of disbelief about the fact that it's actually happening. The boxes in every corner of the house should be a giveaway, but alas...


Just yesterday, my husband and I went to dinner someplace we'd never been, not too far from where his parents live part of the year, and on our way out, I suggested that next time we get together with them when they're down here, we should bring them. The words were barely out of my mouth when I realized that we won't be doing that any time soon. I had a similar moment at another restaurant that recently opened when I told D that when my mom visited us next, we'd have to share our new find. It took a little longer to figure out why he thought that was a ridiculous thing to say, but of course then I remembered, she's definitely not visiting Michigan again. Ever.


These moments have me thinking about all the ways that every single thought we have is so contextualized by our surroundings. The move - a very happy one entirely of our own choosing - has been my only priority for the last three weeks. I've been consumed by calling movers and getting quotes for shipping, visiting the post office to request mail forwarding, planning and executing a garage sale, flying out to Colorado to find a place to live, attending all sorts of farewell gatherings, returning cable boxes, purchasing bubble wrap and boxes, packing, packing, and packing; still, in the middle of all of this, I forget. At the very least, linguistically, I fall back into familiar patterns or processing. As a language person, in and of itself, that's a pretty big deal.


I'd be worried maybe if I thought these were a sign of some underlying hesitation, but believe me when I say that that's not really a fear of mine. I am ready to dive in to this move and the changes that accompany it, head first, so I am much more interested in this academically than psychologically. I can't help but liken it to those times that in the weeks or months after a break-up, people refer to their exes as their boyfriends or girlfriends or spouses, oblivious to their verbal revision of history, yet absolutely content with their new status quo.


I briefly entertained the idea of pursuing an advanced degree in linguistics, and thinking about all of this makes me regret not seeing that through.