There’s nothing special about aiming to live well
But that sounds self-satisfied. What does it mean to “live well”?
A little background. A few years ago we lived in a unique modern house. It wanted love and a lot of repair. We had love to give. And we’re handy. We worked and worried and lost hope of finishing more than once. It was our dream of living in a midcentury house come true. One way of thinking of a house though is that it defines space. Inside and outside aren’t really different, except to those who live there. A few years in I, John, wanted to leave. But we didn’t. Every year we decided to stay a while longer. The house was not the thing after all. We did not want to leave our neighbors. There is a great deal more to the story of these folks: wood cutting and wood splitting with friends, gatherings during power failures, the annual Halloween party, roles on the neighborhood board and committees, a memorable Diwali party. And then there was the brunch with one family that volunteered to help paint a bedroom with us, and did, as soon as the coffee pot was empty.
But then we watched as a couple people we loved die. We cleared our schedules and did what we could for them. Mostly we just visited. Throughout, we kept looking up to see just how much time we were spending working, renovating, and worrying about both. Even if it had been worth it, and it had been, it took nearly all of our attention. And what else have we got?
Soon we’d work up our courage, sell the house, leave the friends we had love and travel for six months. We were without a house but not exactly homeless. But we had, as they say about vagrants, “no fixed abode.” Sounds like freedom. It has it’s own weight and challenges. We would eventually find a house where we would not have to work so hard for the money or the upkeep.
What have we learned in this revolution? Most days are a lot like others. And also, we come back to a couple simple ideas that reorient us from time to time. This isn’t some Instagram story, but we have enough space to ask, What’s important now? What’s worthwhile? What restores us? And then we do our best to gingerly step outside our comfort zone. We hope to see you there.
