Moderate

mod.er.ate (verb) to make or become moderate or less intense

I hear a lot about this word on a daily basis. Politicions are urged to become moderate. My father-in-law has to moderate his diet due to heart disease. Some hope that our climate will be more moderate. In many ways moderation (or being moderate) may be a good thing. Webster's Thesaurus tells me that moderation also can mean toleration , restraint, sobriety. Good characteristics for a person to have. I strive to be tolerant of people (with the exception of my teenage daughter on most days). I practice restrain and strive toward sobriety. But, truly at my core I am just not moderate.

Four children are a testament to my lack of ability (or lack of restraint) to moderate my overproductive uterus. Four children means a complete loss of moderation concerning buying school supplies, making lunches and car pools. Not to mention soccer balls, volleyballs, basketballs, softballs, baseballs . . . the list could go on, but I think you get the picture.

Our business is also a testament to our lack of ability to practice restraint in not hiring every damn stupid kid in the 'Burg. Like the dude who just filled the unleaded gas tank with diesel fuel thus blowing our hope to moderate our vehichle maintenance bill this month. We didn't kill him. We just fired him, with a weeks pay to soften the blow.

My conservative husband's ideas and politics clash with my progressive liberal ways - so maybe that counts as a win, right? Our votes cancel out each other and thus we achieve moderation. Except, that deep down inside my heart, I know that my vote counts for more. Because I am not moderate.

When we host dinner parties, bbq's or just flat out drinking bashes (yes, these sometimes happen under the guise of birthday parties) my family and friends mock me for thinking that I won't have enough food. I never think I have enough food - and I do remember the time we ran out and folks had to go to town, then stopped to make a beer run and didn't come back for hours. Now, I plan to feed 100 people and end up with enough food for an army.

Or, the garden. Why, tell me why, do I decide to plant 50 rows of plants each year. Each row is 50 feet long. Plus the herb section, the berry section and the pumpkin squash section. Because I can't moderate . . . on the plus side my lack of moderation in this area means I have lots, and lots, and lots to share. (Readers beware - don't leave your windows rolled down or you might be the receipent of a lot of squash)

I guess the point I am trying to make with this post is that yes, moderation is good for some people. I'm truly striving to learn to moderate my time commitments, my gardening, my laundry, my grocery shopping, my budget . . . or not. Because, truly, at my core, I think moderation is boring. And, I am anything but that.