Newton's First Law

Some of the laws of physics, I'm deciding, don't just relate to the physical world.  I have now experienced this (noticeably) three times in my life.  Let me explain....

Sir Isaac Newton's first law of motion is:  "Every body persists in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight forward, except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force impressed."  


This law first talks about things being at rest: "An object that is at rest will stay at rest unless an unbalanced force acts upon it," and I guess that's pretty important too, but it's the second part of that law that I'm referring to here.

I guess we could also call "force impressed" "hitting the wall" or "changing direction" or "derailing" or "getting onto another track" or even getting "back on track."

Finishing school has become a "force impressed."  I was going along just doing everything required to graduate and suddenly, it's over.  Done.  Finito!  What's a girl supposed to do with that?  Weird!

When my mom died, similar feeling.  At her home for five days.  Seeing to her needs.  Helping where I could, and suddenly she's gone.  Having never experienced anything like that before, I wasn't sure what to expect.  Why was the world still revolving?  The need to help continued with funeral preparations, burial, etc., but it was so different and much decreased in its intensity.  It's something like having the ground disappear beneath your feet. Just hoping and praying there's a net or something that's going to catch you.

It's surprising when you find yourself still standing. But, as you get onto another track, for awhile it feels like the new track is spent on a tricycle with a bent wheel.

When I returned from my mission, WOW!  That was the hardest.  Completely submerged in a different culture and language.  Walking up to complete strangers and striking up conversations in their language.  Living a lifestyle much removed from the rest of the world--no TV, no newspapers, no radio.  Completely out of the loop.  The year and a half ends, and suddenly, back into the real world with you.  Just weird, and the adjustment period was remarkable.

I didn't bargain for this with the school thing.  I am amazed at all the avenues that are opening up.  I didn't even realize that they'd closed; in come cases, I'd closed them out of convenience sake.  I hated having them closed, but I knew there were going to have to be sacrifices if I was going to meet the goal and continue in my straight forward path.  There would be no detours and no shortcuts.

The thing that's opening a little more each day, and that I'm enjoying the most, is being able to spend more quality time with my kids.  My blinders have been removed, and I can see the opportunities more clearly.  It's wonderful!

When I told #2 about the dinner idea, he scoffed, "But Mom, we've done this before.  Over and over again.  It never works.  The kids forget that it's their turn to make dinner, and then we find ourselves at dinner time with nothing to eat, so we scramble to make something quick.  It won't work."

It was WONDERFUL to be able to reassure him that I'm now available.  I can be in the kitchen with whoever's cooking and can instruct as needed.  I'm AVAILABLE!

What a great feeling!

So, although having a "force impressed" on your comfortable uniform "straight forward" is not a comfortable thing, that force helps you get to a new straight forward, and sometimes, that straight forward is even better than the one you used to be on.  YAY for forces impressed!