Split Personality

There are two Marthas, yet they are actually one and the same. ( I actually first wrote that "one in the same," looked at it, and thought, "That ain't right..." although technically I suppose I am inside myself...)

At any rate, the first Martha lives here, takes care of house and home, tends to family matters, and has roughly the same circle of friends as her husband. Roughly. The second Martha was born back in March when she went off to take a class and earn her place in the world as a Certified Nurse Assistant. Not a high place, but a place none the less. This Martha goes off to work and mingles in other residences, assists in taking care of other people's business, and has a circle of friends and acquaintances her own family has probably never met. (It's a little weird for me, but perfectly normal for all of you who have worked outside of your home for years already.)

Martha #1 is a little shaken up in her life schedule, while Martha #2 is oblivious to her "not totally evil" twin. Always stopping to remember "it's not Friday," Martha #1, who was struggling with scheduling to start with, is never quite sure when to clean the house or do the grocery shopping. Martha #2 need only remember to don work clothes on the correct mornings and pack a bagged lunch. She sits in a home she need not dust, visits with absolute strangers, and, so far, has not been asked to do their shopping. (And here in the story I am reminded of the fact that my great grandfather married two Marthas, my own great grandma being referred to by some as "the 2nd Martha. But I digress...)

I do suppose I am learning to master the art of switching from one Martha to the other. (They really aren't totally different, after all.) I enjoy going to work and I love being home with my family. My house might not be spotless, but didn't that passel of children I had running through here teach me that clean houses aren't necessarily high on the list of priorities? And hey, none of us has starved to death yet, even if I've lost track of what is in the refrigerator and kitchen cupboards.

PS. My houseplants are still alive. I must be doing something right.