Reply To: A story from down under

[sdwa]

No, you didn’t. We’re a nomadic bunch, like a migration of Monarch butterflies, here today and somewhere else later, maybe, if we get that far.

A “pullover” is a top that has to be put on by pulling it over your head because it doesn’t have any fastenings. A “sweater” is a knit top – wool, cashmere, cotton, synthetic blend or whatever – that may or may not have fastenings.

I agree that our kids learn more from what we do, how we spend our time, and what we care about than they do from what we say. I’m not sure they learn anything from what we say, come to think of it, as indicated by the fact that whenever I say something, my son replies, “Shut up, Mom.” Realistically, when I look back at the lives of my parents and grandparents, what I remember most are their demonstrated values.

But it’s not often a good idea for me to think too deeply about the meaning, worth, or impact of a single life. What does anyone pass on to the next generation? Hopefully enough of a sense of love and belief that life is worth living that they can pass that on to their own children. What has lasted over the course of human existence? Art, literature, philosophy, music, a few big buildings, and a persistent ethos of kindness despite all the craziness. And?

I’m always looking for that edge where I care enough to move. How to set an example that doesn’t involve vegetating on the couch above a heap of unpaid bills, dirty dishes, and other stray elements of chaos, or being mentally or emotionally unavailable due to distraction or volatility?

When I’m “on” and engaged with my life, I hope at those times I show my kids what it means to be passionate about creating something, or to be curious and interested in learning. I hope I show them how to have empathy.

People who Make A Difference in The World are usually people who care about something. It’s that whole motivation thing that really kills me. There are many things I would love to do if I could start. And if I could keep going.

There are long intervals of not doing anything, followed by an unusual spark and obsessive construction and focus that tends to crash right before, but sometimes right after, the project is complete, depending on whether I’m doing it for someone else or only myself. Then the magic brain juice goes away and I’m depleted and motionless. I wish I could control or in some way influence how and when that happens, and be able to sustain the more productive states.

In live in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., a climate with a temperate rain forest – overcast, misty, mossy, dank, moldy, rainy, and foggy about nine months of the year. In winter, which is now, it gets light by 8:00 AM and is dark again by 4:00 PM (16:00 if we’re on military time). It is like living in a wet cave until the summer solstice, when the sun rises at 5:00 AM and the sky is not fully dark until 11:00 PM. For two short months, we see the blue sky and sunlight. Right now, night is like a lead weight.

The “wild dog” population consists mainly of coyotes. Sometimes they venture into the city. Once in a blue moon a cougar may come out of the mountains and attack a toddler in a rural area. But they and the bears usually prefer the wilderness.

Love what you said about the vodka to go with the lemonade. And you’re right, the way things are done is changing, so what constitutes a normal or typical lifestyle will always be in flux.

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