Hard Way
“We do these things,
not because they are easy,
but because they are hard.”
(JFK quote - September 12, 1962)
<><><><><>
Not everything. Not all the time.
But - sometimes. More often than average, perhaps.
We do things - - - the hard way.
We do things the hard way, not because we have to.
Sometimes we do things - the hard way - because we (you and me) choose to.
Sometimes - the pain - it’s worth the gain.
>>>>>
We pulled up our roots (again, for the second time - together)
Years ago, we moved south, a long way south.
Then we moved west, a long way west.
We were plus twenty-five; twenty-five years older the second time we made a big move.
The first time was hard. The second time was harder.
I don’t know why. There isn’t one reason. Why did our ancestors pick up and move?
Usually a one-way ticket - crossing an ocean, never to go back.
(That’s hard. One-way tickets, never to go back. That’s a BIG move.)
In some cases, we know why they moved. In many (most) cases - we don’t and never will know all the details. (Why?)
Escape something. Move towards something. Run away. Move towards something. (Some potential. Something better? Something different? A different tomorrow.)
Us? Why did we move - a long way - not across an ocean (well, at least, not yet).
In both cases, speaking for us (C & me), both times - we moved to “mix it up”. Change of scenery. Try something new.
(“Changes in latitude, changes in attitude” - Jimmy Buffet lyric. Yes. That’s right.)
The second move was a - keep the latitude - change the longitude. More about escape (hurricanes), but still - seeking change. Changes in longitude, changes in attitude. Go west.)
The first move was good. Good for us, in a bunch of ways.
It’s still early on, a short time past our second move. But it’s looking good.
So far, so good. We are pleased.
>>>>>
Pulling up roots, one loses all their anchors. All the “knowns”. All that is familiar.
Doctors we liked. Friends (not lost, but distance added).
Favorite restaurants, there was a pizza place we still dream about. We will never be able to replace - that place. A Handyman who we loved. Ditto.
A place and a routine - that we practiced and knew.
Pack up and - move. Move away.
Poof - lots of knows - - - gone.
Must reinvent. In some ways, be like a child again. Learn new things. Start over.
Fall down. Get up. And then, do it - again.
>>>>>
Dogs are family; kids that never grow up.
It’s good (we think it’s good), when kids grow up and move away. That’s what my Mom told me to do.
Go. Go. Go find your best life. Opportunity - windows of it.
GO, Scotty. Go.
But the kids that never grow up - dogs. We (C and me) don’t leave them.
We don’t leave our children behind. (They were our choice. Lifelong commitment. Whoever goes first. Us or them. Until death do us part.)
We were looking for people to care for our children. Nannies, A Plus Babysitters. (Get off of them Joel. “Joel, get off the babysitter”, that line from an old movie - it always cracks me up. THAT guy, big shot Actor now, he lived in Syracuse once. He moved away. He moved away and did well. I heard that he did well.)
I digress…
We were looking for people to care for our kids, here in this new place. We were looking for people, “our people”. (People we can feel good about. People we like. People we trust.)
There is a popular App for that. (Isn’t there one (an App) - for - - - everything? Apps.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti every new thing. I am getting old, older. It does become harder to embrace “the new”. But some it, a whole lot of it… it’s amazing. No really… amazing. Technology. Life changing.
But - not all of it.
There is a dog sitting App, it has a big name. I looked. I looked for local Dog Sitters. And when I looked, too often - I saw people - too often - young women - photos of young women (too often) - holding dogs in their laps (that’s fine) - and showing, too much skin (that’s - not fine) - sparkle makeup on their faces (not fine, not dog sitter fine).
I saw a whole lot of - “Not What I’m Shopping For”.
Misappropriation? Misuse? Abuse of the new technology to match people and services?
I don’t know. I don’t really care. I trust my gut.
No thanks. That App. That piece of tech. It’s not for me. Not for us. Not for our house - not for Our Kids.
Screw the easy way. I searched. I searched - the hard way.
I talked to people. (Talk to people. An old-fashioned way.)
Do you know a good Dog Sitter? Someone who will stay at our house and love our kids, while we travel. (C and S, we love to move. Travel is a short-term way to move. Motion.)
And in this case, doing things the hard way; it cost us time, precious time.
Time is precious.
But sometimes - the hard way, it’s worth the cost. Do it - some things - sometimes - the hard way.
>>>>>
Finally, at new Vets office, we spoke with a couple, with a cute Shih Tzu (C used to have one, a Shih Tzu - so cute).
“Do you know of a good Dog Sitter by chance, Scott said”
“Maybe our Daughter might be interested,” they said.
Perfecto! Bueno, bueno!!! BINGO.
And now, not only have we found a perfect match - people who bring love into our home when we’re gone - to take care of our babies while we travel.
A couple, a couple of wonderful young women.
In fact, more than Puppy Sitters - I think we’ve made new friends.
Talking to people.
Old school. Doing things - the hard way.
Not always, but sometimes… sometimes it’s good.
Sometimes it’s good to do thing…
The Hard Way
<><><><><>
PHOTO:
In Tbilisi, trip we made, long way - hard way, some time back
We saw a steady stream of people, walking down a steep flight of stairs.
We decided to follow the local crowd. Do what they do.
We went down the steep stairs, below the street - underground
And there we found, this wonderful living museum, a throwback in history -
An underground, doing things the old way - bakery.
It’s not a museum. It’s a tradition. Not for show.
A business. A long (way long) standing business.
People baking (the most wonderful) bread, in some ancient way.
We bought a loaf. (It was so feakin’ good!)
It wasn’t Wonder Bread. It was real bread. Bread as it should be.
Bread done right. Great bread.
The Hard Way
Sometime the best way is…
The Hard Way