So...
If you know me well at all, then you know that I grew up in
a family of wanderers. Nomads. Gypsies. Whatever you want to call it, we are a
people who don't know how to stay put. If you don't know me well (yet), perhaps
the easiest way to sum it up is to say I attended 10 schools from grade six
through grade 12. I'm not an "army brat." I'm blue-collar, and proud
of it. Mom's a waitress. Dad's in construction. We follow the work. Sometimes
this requires a very "flexible" lifestyle.
From all that
wandering, I learned some valuable lessons.
1) There is a correct way to load a moving van. There is
also a correct way to drive one.
2) Home is people, not places.
3) Everywhere is somewhere. Enjoy it. Your life is someone else's vacation destination.
4) Keep a book handy. They don't need to be plugged in, charged up, or properly loaded. They don't interfere with other people's conversation. You decide when to "play." There is no time limit. If you loose one it's not the end of the world.
5) There is no thing you own that you cannot replace. Some are just harder to find than others. Searching for them can be fun, too.
6) Real friends keep in touch, even if only once-in-a-while.
7) You'd be surprised how far you can stretch $5 when you really need to.
8) A plan is helpful. Trusting in the plan makes all the difference.
2) Home is people, not places.
3) Everywhere is somewhere. Enjoy it. Your life is someone else's vacation destination.
4) Keep a book handy. They don't need to be plugged in, charged up, or properly loaded. They don't interfere with other people's conversation. You decide when to "play." There is no time limit. If you loose one it's not the end of the world.
5) There is no thing you own that you cannot replace. Some are just harder to find than others. Searching for them can be fun, too.
6) Real friends keep in touch, even if only once-in-a-while.
7) You'd be surprised how far you can stretch $5 when you really need to.
8) A plan is helpful. Trusting in the plan makes all the difference.
I also learned that it's okay to take risks. Sometimes
things don't go quite the way you'd hoped. That's frustrating. Annoying. Depressing.
Ultimately, though, you will survive. You'll come out on the other side with
another great story to tell.
This recession has been hard on construction. Waitresses,
too. There hasn't been steady work for months, so it's time to move on. Time
for a fresh start in a new place. Actually, not so new. They're heading back to
the North East, where they both grew up. Because there hasn't been much work,
they made a tough call to try to sell the furniture instead of moving it with
them. I know how hard that decision was. A lot of it hasn't sold yet. That
makes it even harder. There is no fairy godmother to turn the furniture into
gasoline along the way. Still, they need to go, so they'll make do with what
they've got. I believe they will be fine. They always are.
My folks are some of the bravest people I know. This year
they turn 50. They've been together for 20+ years now. Some folks mark these
milestones with roots firmly planted, branches spread, settled in to rest and
survey a familiar landscape. Not my folks. They pack up. Pick up. Move out.
Don't hesitate (much). Do what it takes.
That's what I want to be like when I'm 50.
BOLD.
