Why we don't live in herds
My mother, sister and niece have joined me on dad's boat. It has been a very happy reunion for me, but not uncomplicated.
For one thing, as complicated as it is to be a human being, it is exponentially more tricky to be two human beings together, especially over the seasons of a lifetime. My parents are valorously skirmishing through the inevitable chaos that must come when two people ask themselves difficult questions about what they want their lives to be, after living a combined life of comparatively clear roles and rules. I love them both very much and it's hard to watch them struggle.
For another, it is five times as hard to move through a day with five people together as it is with one. I spent almost 2 weeks sculpting my days around only the demands of my hunger, my bladder and my patience for being behind the wheel. It is a stark contrast to get five people up in the morning, cleaned to their individual standards, fed and agreeing about what everyone is going to do together all day. Where it would take me perhaps five minutes between deciding I want to go to town and getting in the car, it takes the herd what seems like hours. Add to this the fact that these individuals all have very different personal styles and speeds, and that one of us never knows she is hungry or sad until the moment the sensation is upon her and is moved to hysteria by her car seat!
I don't want to wallow in complaints! The sun is shining brightly today, when I woke up I felt like I had mysteriously lost ten pounds, and now I am taking a bit of a breather at Penguin coffee, my Anacortes internet headquarters. My iced mocha (easy on the chocolate) was perfection.
For one thing, as complicated as it is to be a human being, it is exponentially more tricky to be two human beings together, especially over the seasons of a lifetime. My parents are valorously skirmishing through the inevitable chaos that must come when two people ask themselves difficult questions about what they want their lives to be, after living a combined life of comparatively clear roles and rules. I love them both very much and it's hard to watch them struggle.
For another, it is five times as hard to move through a day with five people together as it is with one. I spent almost 2 weeks sculpting my days around only the demands of my hunger, my bladder and my patience for being behind the wheel. It is a stark contrast to get five people up in the morning, cleaned to their individual standards, fed and agreeing about what everyone is going to do together all day. Where it would take me perhaps five minutes between deciding I want to go to town and getting in the car, it takes the herd what seems like hours. Add to this the fact that these individuals all have very different personal styles and speeds, and that one of us never knows she is hungry or sad until the moment the sensation is upon her and is moved to hysteria by her car seat!
I don't want to wallow in complaints! The sun is shining brightly today, when I woke up I felt like I had mysteriously lost ten pounds, and now I am taking a bit of a breather at Penguin coffee, my Anacortes internet headquarters. My iced mocha (easy on the chocolate) was perfection.
posted by Eiren at 5:06 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home