Happy Friday from a Chattanooga Walmart parking lot. We crossed over the border and out of Georgia again, this time for the final time.
I’ve wanted to do a follow-up post to talk about what I’ve learned on the trip, a closer study on what exactly I like about the things I like about the trip, and how what I’ve learned is changing, or will change, me. But it’s hard. Below is a beginning, maybe. Let’s just start all sudden and jarring-like:
When talking about the “how will this year change you?” question with a good friend, she keeps asking me what qualities of family life on the road I want to ensure we continue to have upon our return-to-normal. The other morning I finally decided to spend some real time in consideration on this, and captured the following top three. Maybe they’re worded here more as desired changes that’ll bring about qualities, but like I said it’s a beginning:
- More unscheduled time & a less hectic calendar
- A better balance of “just us” family time & “with others” social time
- Financial independence & early retirement
Underneatho those top-three I then thought about what I know about me and what that knowing means in terms of things I should be doing. I don’t know how this really fits with the above, but feel like they are some kind of qualifiers:
- I emulate those whom I spend the most time with, so I should surround myself with those who act the way I want to act.
- I give the majority of my attention to those whom I spend the most time with, so I should spend the most time with those who most need/deserve my attention.
- I realize that the underlying “woes” driving the three desired-changes/qualities above are not solely environment-driven, but are driven by behaviors innate in me. I.e. I’ll tend to over-schedule and short the family on time because that’s how I do or how I’m conditioned. To fix this, I know I can’t simply change things (jobs, scenery, etc.), I also have to change me. That’s harder.
So, there’s that. The first three are maybe goals I think, the second three are things to be aware of in pursuit of the goals.
Until I have more time, goodnight.
Also written on this day...
- writer's block - 2010
- lock my tear-drenched heart away inside a steel box - 2007
- the times they are a-changin' - 2006
- the new transformers - 2005
- ghostwriting about ghosts - 2004