The Packing Gene: A Blessing or a Curse?
I actually do not know if this characteristic is a blessing or a curse, but we both have it and we have it bad. Neither my mother nor my husband has had to pack a trunk in as many years as either of them has been married. My husband, in an attempt at chivalry, has offered only to be shooed back to the house to make sure that everything that needs to go has been brought out for my viewing. I even load the trunk when we go grocery shopping.
My father truly believes that my mother intentionally waits until he has almost finished loading the trunk to bring down one last large item, causing him to have to unload the whole trunk and start over. The truth is, those of us with the packing gene will willingly pack and re-pack the trunk several times in the quest for the "perfect packing job." Like I said, I haven't decided if it's a blessing or a curse.
Fortunately I get lots of practice at my skill as my parents and my in-laws live in Virginia and we live in New York. As a stay-at-home mom, I have the freedom to road trip with my daughter and my dog as often as I wish to visit with all of the grandparents (my in-laws live about 30 minutes away from my parents-how convenient!). These road trips are like the preliminaries to the trunk-loading Olympics. The Olympics being Christmas, Thanksgiving and any other major holiday where I not only have to pack for myself and the baby, but also my husband. It's especially challenging as the staples of any trip include a large dog crate, a Pack'n'Play portable crib, a stroller and all of the other necessities of traveling with a toddler...oh yeah and clothes. I also feel I should mention that I drive a mid-sized sedan and the back seat cannot be used as one half contains the car seat and the other half contains a German shepherd. It wouldn't be a challenge if I drove a Suburban, now would it? One time I managed to fit a full-sized Radio Flyer wagon in the trunk along with all of this stuff. It was one of my greatest moments.
I know that the days of packing my small car are limited. Our family is growing and our car just isn't going to be big enough. The time will come when we have an SUV and the game will be over. No more scheming, no more working up a sweat and no more swearing at the dog crate for having to be at an angle and taking up valuable space. Some day soon it will just lay flat in the back of our vehicle and I will just sadly smile and remember when. But for now I will relish standing in my parents' driveway with my dad admiring my handiwork each time I manage to get everything in. He never says as much, but the look on his face tells me he's proud.
Published by Valerie Oz
After a 6-year run at the "career thing," I have been at home with our daughter for almost 4 years now. I have to say that this job is harder, and a thousand-times more rewarding. And now there is another... View profile
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2 Comments
Post a CommentHa Ha! Remember the time when Dad forgot to pack his own suitcase? The gene obviously has it's faults. If I don't see the item go into the trunk myself, I wonder the entire 7 hours to VA if I forgot it or not. I, too, am leaning more toward the "sickness" side. But it's also a game!
I know most people who do not have to deal with this obsessive-compulsive behavior cannot relate, but just try being married to one, and having another as your first-born. THESE PEOPLE ARE SICK (love Momma)