Dallas, Texas
"…are you sure?" pausing before putting pen to paper, JR looked at his wife to gauge just how she was feeling; he wasn't opposed to her wish, he just wanted to make sure she was saying what she was saying because it was what she wanted, not what she thought she was expected to do.
He wanted to ensure 1973 was better and more consistent than their previous years together, so he had taken a page from Doctor Williams' book and suggested they make a list of goals and resolutions and then form some kind of plan for how they would make those things happen. Ending the year on a positive note, with a positive plan for the future and a positive attitude, was just about all they could do now to ensure some sort of success. They were still seeing Doctor Williams, but not in the same manner they had been previously; they had overcome the major issues in their relationship and now it was time to work on maintaining the good and being aware of and addressing small things when they were small, rather than ignoring or not noticing issues until it was too late. So far, everything appeared to be going well; making a list had prompted them to have conversations they hadn't even thought about having before now, and while they still had a few things to discuss about some of each of their suggestions, for the most part, they were combatting possible problems before they became a serious concern.
"Yes, I'm sure; I want to get involved again. I don't mean I want a full time job or anything even remotely close to that, I just want something to commit to, something that I know will benefit others and make me feel good about myself. I want to feel useful again. That's not to say my life with you and John Ross isn't fulfilling or wonderful, I just want something more. Doing some charity work a few hours a week will be good for everyone; I need time to work on my own pursuits, the women the charity help are truly in need, and your mama and John Ross are attached to each other now, so I think a little quality time together will definitely be appreciated. Miss Ellie pretends to be strong and accepting, but I have no doubt she's not entirely confident or happy about the looming changes; she's not your daddy, so she's not going to try and force us to stay here, but she would definitely be thrilled if we decided we're no longer interested in moving".
Knowing JR understood how her feelings regarding the DOA had changed, Sue Ellen hoped he also understood why she felt the way she did about her own personal charity work. She enjoyed assisting women to dress the part for the working world so that they could better themselves by getting professional jobs, allowing them to earn their own money and be self-sufficient. She loved being able to use her fashion-oriented mind to sort clothes and coordinate outfits and she loved seeing and hearing the positive feedback from the women she was helping. It was nice to be involved in something that wasn't just rewarding for her, but for those she was assisting; it made her feel good to know she was using her privilege and personal skills for a greater good, rather than just her own good. Additionally, it was nice to have something for herself, something she didn't have to share or be judged on; the DOA was as much a social organization for wealthy women as it was a charity organization designed to ease the inequality and injustice in society. It was nice to have something she was doing on her own, something that was not associated with her reputation, the Ewing family's reputation or anything else.
Nodding as she made her points, JR couldn't disagree with her; she had every right to do something for herself and as she had proved last year when she had been working for the women's charity, it did make her happy to do something productive. As well as that, she was right about his mother; she probably was taking things a lot harder than she let on. They were leaving, only moving a few miles down the street, but still leaving, and they were taking John Ross with them; she was definitely somewhat upset, she loved all of them and this probably felt like a loss. With that in mind, although he didn't want to think of or use John Ross as a pawn in some stupid game, he didn't see any harm in offering his mother a few hours a week where she could exclusively care for her grandson. Sue Ellen was right, her charity work didn't interfere with their lives in any extreme way and it would be nice and of benefit to everyone for her to do it. "Ok, fair point. As long as you promise to be honest with yourself, with me and with the people you're working with; don't feel you have to commit to something you don't want to do or don't have time to do". Agreeing with her point and staying brief with his comments because he didn't want to look like he was trying to take control of her decision, he then wrote it down on the notepad in front of him.
Reading over the list of things they had discussed so far, he grinned to himself; Sue Ellen was taking full advantage of his offer to plan their year, and even though he was somewhat of a workaholic, he couldn't help but be excited for the family vacation and various couples weekends she'd suggested. Getting away from Southfork was a good idea, but from prior experience, getting away from Dallas entirely was an even better idea. On a different note, he was also excited for what the next year at Ewing Oil held for him; he was more relaxed now that he was legally guaranteed future presidency and ownership of the company, and now that Bobby was splitting his time doing out-of-town PR work and ranching. Of course, it would be hard work to learn everything he needed to know before his father retired in a few years, and it would be a challenge to maintain a good work-life balance, but he wasn't afraid of hard work and he didn't lack determination. 1973 was still two days away, but he had a feeling it would be a good year.
To be continued…