The Girl Who Cried Wolf

Once upon a time there was a beautiful Princess (rrrrrrrrpppp- that is the sound of the record player skipping....... indicating that I am already way off in my story telling).

Once upon a time in a neighborhood not far away lived a girl. (Blake recently informed me that I am not a "girl", I am a "mom") She and her 3 children and handsome husband lived together in a shoe. (I think I am mixing my stories up again)  Let's fast forward to the the part we know-  where she goes into the woods and sees a wolf.

About three years ago the girl and her husband received a letter from a far away land (Portland, Oregon).  That letter indicated that the handsome husband was on the Wait List for the P.A. school in Oregon.  They cheered with delight and faith as they prepared to move.  The girl  rushed from the woods (or in this case, the mail box) and told all of her friends, and the thousands of readers on her Blog that soon she would be moving to Oregon.  But disappointment struck when the Evil Witch, Pacific University, did not need anyone from the wait list and JT was told to reapply. (was there an evil witch in the story with the wolf? whatever)  The girl was heartbroken, and a little bit embarrassed.  She had been so excited for the move- and so faithful that things would work out for them- that she had not considered how it would feel to look back at the woods and tell everyone that they weren't moving.  The moving boxes were left empty, and life resumed in the neighborhood without much thought to the previous excitement.

About a year later a phone call came to the home of the girl and handsome husband.  Again, telling him that he would be on the Wait List.  But this time for an even more exotic  place (could anything be more exotic than Oregon?) P.A. school in Puerto Rico!  The same excitement ensued.  The girl rushed from the woods (or cell phone) and told her friends, again, that she would be moving.  And the packing began.  But as the weeks wore on, and the Evil Beast (Chattham University) filled it's roster, once again we were told to reapply.  The girl found herself, again, looking back at the woods- that seemed filled with adventure and excitement -and telling her loved ones (and  by now the millions of people who read her blog) that they would be staying here.

What would the Neighborhood Folk think of her and the handsome husband?

Two times coming out of the woods- with stories of far away and exotic places. And two times, ending up right here where they began.

Was she just a storyteller?  Was it ever going to happen?

Finally, a new letter came.  Acceptance.  "This is It!" thought the girl as she ran from the woods to share the good news.  Finally, something definite. It was time to pack and move across the country to the cold and snowy land of New York.  This was a far away place she had always dreamed of!  She forgot her previous embarrassment and confidently came out of the woods this time.  There was no wait list, no possibility of an Evil Witch with a poison apple.  They were accepted.

Little did the girl know, that her handsome husband had other things in mind.

And soon another phone call came. This time from the University of Washington.  Another acceptance.  How could they say No?   Instantly, the boxes were put away.  The frames left on the wall.  They would not be moving after all.  The girl was forced again, to inform her friends, and her billions of readers, that they would be staying right here.  Maybe.

Maybe?

Well, of course, the girl had dreamed of adventure.  Of new roads to travel and new flavors to taste.  And the handsome husband was seduced by the thought of living near campus.

So once again, the girl rushed from the woods with her sights set on The City.  They would move closer to The City and the school, find a small house, save time on the commute, and finally use those moving boxes.  She boasted to her friends that she would still have an adventure.

But time wore on.  And cheap housing in The City was scarce.  Prayers were said, apartments were visited, and renters for their own house were found. (yeah! that was a tiny miracle in and of itself) But nothing was working out.  Hope was wearing thin as questions began pouring in.  When will you move? Have you found a place? Doesn't school start in just one week?  Don't you already have renters for your house- where will you stay? Overwhelmed, and disheartened, the girl and the handsome husband had an idea.

An idea that would solve their financial worries, and buy them some time while they wait for student housing.  They would just stay here.  But move.

(Huh?)

So the girl and the handsome husband will pack their bags this summer and move across the street.  No, it is not exotic.  And it isn't any closer to campus.  But they can afford to rent out the bottom level of a friend's home. :)  So yes, they will move, across the street- and yes, they are staying. (Is this fairy tale confusing, or what?)

The poor girl is tired of being the Girl Who Cried Wolf.  She is tired of telling everyone she is moving - only to discover she is staying.  She didn't do it because she was naive (although she felt that way),  she didn't do it for the Pina Colada Party her dear friends gave her when she was disappointed, she didn't do it  to be asked (again ;) to speak in church "before she moves", she didn't do it for help decluttering her house, or for help with the garage sale or the millions of other things that everyone has done for her the past few years.

She is in more shock than any of you at the fact that there is No Wolf.  (although she may still need help packing- to move across the street!)

The moral of this story is:
Next time you hear the story of the Little Boy Who Cried Wolf-- just think  for a minute that maybe he really did see a wolf,  maybe he really wanted to see that wolf, or maybe he just got the chance to see that his friends would love him and support him no matter what or where he lived.

Unfortunately, in that story, the boy got eaten by a wolf.

And so the girl and the handsome husband moved out of their shoe (and into someone else's shoe) and lived Happily Ever After.

Disclaimer:  I do not actually think that Pacific University of Chattham University are evil for not accepting JT- just foolish.