Trademarks, Shouldbe's (and catfish too)

Aw hell to catfish (that's for you T!) its been a looong time since I blogged. And for some reason the longer it goes, the more insurmountable it becomes. Every time I sit in front of the computer I'm plagued by the shouldbe's. I should be working on a myriad of work things. I should be responding to emails both professional and personal. I should be blogging for posterity. Those shouldbe's can really weigh you down.

But what I've really been thinking about lately is trademarks. In the world of marketing/branding/PR its vital that you put your stamp on everything you create so no one else can stake their claim to it. So why shouldn't we do that in our personal life? Because there are some things that are indelibly ours. So here are a few things I'm most proud of (or at the very least, are really never going to change):

* In our house, we are not wallflowers. This means there is a lot of, ahem, passionate viewpoints thrown around. Yes we can get heated, yes we can raise voices, but yes we all have thick skins. It is true that we could all benefit from a good chill pill once in a while, but I don't think I would trade our passion and vigor for all the calm and peace in the world. We have opinions, we share them, we thrive off of them. We are not a go-with-the-flow kind of family. Trademark.

* If there were two words that you could use to describe K2's attitude most of the time, it would be righteous indignation. You see, no one is more confident in how right they are then K2, and no one is less afraid to stand her ground. And when you have that kind of confidence, you can't help but be a little short on humility. And yet she combines it with such personality, sweetness and magnetism that you forgive her (ummm, how do I say it?) sheer arrogance. Even when she - at 5 years old - is arguing with you on the right way to spell a word. You know you're right (of course you are) but you will never convince her otherwise. Now that's confidence. Trademark.

* K1 can be a little sensitive sometimes, which probably wouldn't be so noticeable in another family but stands out a bit in our house. But the thing about K1 is, no one gets over something faster than he does. He may be super upset - angry or hurt or frustrated - and a simple hug, a funny joke, a sly little smile in his direction and he's over it. He just can't hang on to sadness, no matter how hard he tries. The kid just lives to be happy, and it's a good thing because he has the best smile in the universe. He may make you a little insane with his incessant energy and penchant for silliness, but its impossible to be down when you hang around K1. Trademark.

* In our family, we're not so much with the sticking around the house. We're adventure-seeking, new-experience-needing kind of people. It often translates to last-minute plans, long drives and random, out-of-the-way places. We have our schedule and structure same as the next guy, but any time we get a brief break in the have-to's we go find some want-to's. It's not that we're crazy thrill seeking dare devils (though there's a small bit of that in each of us), but its more that we realize there is a great big world of possibility around us and whatever it is, its got to be more interesting than sticking around the neighborhood. This fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants approach has made for kids who travel really well, but its always been a little hard to find friends who can be as last-minute as we are (and who have the same sense of randomness). But if you're looking for an anything-goes weekend with no limitations or expectations, give us a call. We're there. Trademark.

It would be great to file a patent or register a trademark for everything we love that makes us unique. Even those things that are hard, that take effort to manage, shouldn't be changed. They are what make life worth living, they are how we leave our own indelible mark on the world around us. And its those distinct traits that get me through all the shouldbe's of my life. Trademark.