So, every once in a while taking care of Charlie get's lonely. You'd think because I'm around him, a person, all day I'd never have the chance to get lonely. But he doesn't really give me kind of interaction I need! When I get lonely, I start imaginig weird senarios.
Yesterday, I was imagining what it would be like if I was a settler woman in a covered wagon going west to settle Oregon. (can you tell I'm homesick for Seattle?) I started thinking about the hardship. And it made me thankful for my life. Having to knit or make all the clothing for my family without a sewing machine even, cloth diapers without a washing machine, no stove, no dishwasher. Just me doing a whole lot more work than I'm doing now....wait just me?
Who else would be on that wagon train? Maybe there would be my brother's wives, my mom or a grandmother. No doubt all the women in the wagon train would be doing the same hard work, maybe we'd even do it together, and share a big pot of stew, or a large basin of dirty diapers by the creek side. Mmmm, fun image! Of course we'd all be doing a lot of work, but it would be shared with the meaningful friendship such community brings. Some people I know are lucky and live close to their family, or have a network of friends close around them that might just as well be family. But most people I know don't have this luxury.
So this is my daydreaming question for you: Would you rather have close extended family and friends or all your household appliances?
While I'm daydreaming, I vote for both...
4 comments:
I think this is such an insightful post, more so than you might even think.
It seems we (the West?) have largely lost the ability to live with people. Perhaps this is even behind such high divorce rates, and it would help make sense of the rates being the same in and out of the church.
Girl, I pray that your vote for both isn't just dreaming, but becomes reality. I believe both are the way it is supposed to be.
Can I have both too? If not, then I suppose I would go with the technology/appliances one because it does include cars and planes. Travel is how the reality of both is happening for us as much as possible right now...next best thing I guess!
i think i'll go for the first choice.. as it is how our life here in the phils. so basic and simple, yet even the most complicated work can be done bec. we have our families and friends around!
i know u know how it is here friend... me at home, i don't have an oven, a shower, a washing machine and this list can go on, but we're happy with how it is...
I would love to have all my family around instead of my applicances. I don't have the responsibilities a mother had, but having family or close friends around is what makes life livable.
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