Going for a ride.

I had the unique experience over the last few days of driving. A lot of driving. It began with a trip from home to Saxeville and back over the weekend. This was immediately followed on Monday by a drive to Michigan's upper peninsula.

There is something very calming for me about driving for a distance alone. I find myself able to address a large number of thoughts and conflicts, sort of making sense of them. In this case however, I found myself ending the trips with more questions than answers.

As you are likely aware, I generally find myself drawn to a very down-to-earth way of life. Much more so than the day to day life that I actually lead. These two trips did nothing to quell that. Driving through these two very remote, rural, and agrarian areas only served to make obvious to me the benefits of that ideal.

Whether or not you agree with the ideal, it seems hard to argue the basic simplicity of life that becomes inevitable when you are in a full time environment of this sort. When there is not a Target, Walmart, Sears, Bed Bath and Beyond, Elder Beermans, etc within 35 or more minutes of your home, your life's pace will absolutely slow down. We're talking about people who dont have cable television because the lines arent long enough. People who have to examine the gas guage before coming home rather than before leaving home.

This sort of life to me is the ideal. In my mind, the opposite end of the spectrum would be some of the ultra urban apartments and condos out there.

The thing is, I love to have a little space. I sometimes like to make a mess. Or some noise. You cant do that when you dont have any space. Its rude.

When was the last time your friend with that gorgeous subdivision house talked about target practice in the back yard? Or working on the car in the garage? Or having friends over for a fire? Shoot, leaving the boat out overnight. Maybe I have a problem with authority, but I have never been able to come to grips with the idea of a restrictive covenant. Mostly because the damned things were written to keep people like me away.

Driving through these areas, it becomes obvious that the folks who live there full time are a bit more laid back. They do things as they are able. Within their own level of ability. And as they see fit. They do not update the house based on increasing its resale value. They dont buy things with the idea that they will ever sell them. For that reason, they make those things reflect their own personality. If they think that it would look nice to plant flowers in a bathtub int he front yard, thats exactly what they do.

Now I'm not saying what this sounds like. The real point here hasnt changed much from many of the other ideas that ive shared. Specific examples never quite seem to show the whole picture.

I guess the underlying theme so far is thus; Be who you are. Of course you will have to maintain some amount of social conformity, but be who you are.

It truly is the differences in people that gives us the most in common.