Paradox

Thursday, August 6, 2009
Beaver Dam, WI

We're down to our last few days here in Beaver Dam and in Wisconsin for this year. We've done a lot in our time here... clearing land and installing an RV pad at the farm, shopping for and buying a new car, getting the new car ready for towing, selling the old toad, and being with family and friends. It's this last one that makes it hard to leave.

Of course, there isn't enough time. We knew when we got here what we'd like to accomplish during our short visit but we'll leave Sunday with things undone. It seemed that as we finished one thing, another one or two would be added to the list. There are still people we wanted to see, but time has evaporated faster than spit on an Arizona sidewalk. Perhaps one of these days we'll learn that people are more important than stuff and the tasks that come with having stuff.

Our histories are deep here. This is where both of us grew up. This is where we met each other. This is where both of our Moms & Dads call home. And this part of Wisconsin will always be home to us too, regardless of where we are or where we eventually settle again someday.

The future hold so much uncertainty, yet, at the same time, so much certainty. It's a paradox of our existence. I feel the tug of the road whenever I'm in one spot for more than a few days or a week or two. But I also feel a latent desire to have roots and routine when I've been wandering and exploring for a stretch. Life is complicated and simple at the same time. Things we do, choices we make, can magnify this paradox. Suppose we feed the simple side and avoid complications -- at least as much as possible?

Distance will keep us from our Wisconsin loved ones for a while. But we're also feeling the tug of loved ones in the Northwest. Yes, it's hard to leave. But it's easy to arrive.

T