Reality TV- Me

I am Cristie Ritz King, ringmaster of The Traveling Circus. If I look familiar, it’s because I am. I am your sister, your neighbor, your friend.

What’s my story? I’ve struggled to answer that question since I told my husband there was a casting call for a reality television series about mom bloggers.

“Why the heck wouldn’t you apply?”He asked.

“Because, they need someone with a story. I don’t have a story”

He rolled his eyes (as he often does) and reminded me in 12 years of marriage, we’ve moved six times. We had three kids in five years. One move made me the first in my family to live more than 30 minutes away from the house where we grew up. That move, even though it brought me to a hip little town near the Jersey Shore, left me with no support system and not a familiar mom face for miles. He reminded me that though I have lots of siblings I lost both parents before I turned 31. I am parenting without parents in a place far from family and where my husband spends most of his awake hours 90 minutes from home. I am figuring out a new life-often on my own.

“In this last year, you have started two businesses and run them both well, all while walking kids to and from three different schools, shuttling to playdates and dance class, cooking, cleaning and giving baths. Just the madness of your average day makes for good T.V.” He laughed, thinking of the image of my Circus.

And I still didn’t believe this was a story. Everybody does these things. Everybody has trials and triumphs. I am not unique. I don’t have any great tragedies or super star moments.

That is when it hit me-I have a story. My story is everyone’s story. I am a mother, a wife, a woman just trying to figure it all out in a world where opportunities seem limitless and yet there could be pitfalls at every turn. I have sadness-like losing my mom. I have challenge-like trying desperately to create a future of financial freedom. I have daily laughter-often at myself. I have great joy-like watching my kids grow into outstanding humans right before my eyes. I even had a super star moment once (even if my kid did puke all over me.)

Just over a year ago, I started my blog to keep family and friends up on the events of move number five that included another reality television appearance. I started this blog to tell stories. The feedback on and the amazing opportunities from my blog have given me a greater vision for my life. This vision includes a huge sense of responsibility to keep telling these stories-my stories-because other people relate and often even need to hear them. Because I speak, they know they are not alone. I remind them we’ll get through, we’ll survive, even thrive.

My story is their story and I am so lucky I get to tell it every day.

OH-PS!! Dear readers, please post on the Project Mom Facebook wall and tweet them @momcasting to say you’d love to watch The Traveling Circus on television. I promise I’ll wear the HGTV shoes again.;)