We’ve been caught in the whirlwind of re-entry and of course I have been contemplating whether or not to continue this blog. I think I will, as I feel moved to write. Although the kids never bother to read this now, I think there will come a time when they are glad to have it and that makes me happy. I even humor myself to imagine that they will read it after I die, and get to know me in ways they didn’t when I am alive. Is that macabre? Mortality comes to mind more often these days.
I’m reminded that my father began writing each of us a weekly letter when he took a sabbatical in London while I was in 7th grade. He continued the tradition for decades thereafter, and we all looked forward to our weekly snail mail. For many years, it was handwritten, but as he applied himself to the computer, the letters began to arrive as computer print outs. (He is a diligent hunt and pecker at this stage with pretty good facility for 82 compared to his cohorts, all of whom had secretaries taking dictation!) Finally and only in the last year or two, the emails stopped coming and what used to be a composite of daily updates in a snail mail became a series of quick emails or photographs taken with his new digital camera — new flowers in bloom, feral cats on the porch, raccoons come to visit, and headway on his beloved “CQI” (Continuous Quality Improvement) projects at the barn. I surprised him for Christmas one year by giving him what I called “The Pine Plains Chronicles”, which was a series of binders full of all the letters he had ever written me in reverse chronological order. He didn’t have any idea I was saving them, and if fact challenged me with some frequency over the years as to whether I read the most recent update! Of course, as my most loyal blog reader I am aware I am courting a response from him as we speak. Thanks, Dad, for staying in touch! I hope my kids will see what I am doing as an important chronicle of their own/our own.
As for re-entry, a few quick thoughts before I get back to unpacking another box. First of all, reverse culture shock is a thing. All of a sudden, Americans look even more obese than they did before. And they don’t take their shoes off when they come into your home – how rude! And we eat so much dairy it is making my stomach hurt. And they speak English! That is a big shock. And I am searching for my Spanish and Thai keeps coming out instead. And I am waking up at 3:30am excited to get to work on my next re-entry project or a load of client work but somehow I feel OK at the moment because I am probably running on adrenaline. In essence, I think all of us were surprised on return to feel that its taken several days to “land” even after landing. Our house was inhabited by about 10 people, mostly strangers, in a group home over the course of the year and although there was no major damage and it helped underwrite an amazing experience, it is pretty dirty and there are random things that were left behind everywhere. Pillows, hand towels, broken picture frames, and random coffee cups. Who eats Miracle Whip? What about those Baked Beans? Yuck.
Our Thai dog Trixie survived the plane ride in a kennel in cargo and has adapted surprisingly well, as has our other dog Marley to her arrival. I am “dogged” by my entourage everywhere I go and they are very jealous of each other, but who can blame them. In a surprise turn of events, Marley seems to be submitting to Trixie who is half his weight and a third his age. She has even taken over his dog bed!
But most of all, I continue to feel so lucky. I love my home and my community and the weather is gorgeous and a cool 85 during the day. It has been great re-connecting with friends and it’s nice to feel that we were actually missed! We are gearing up to hit the road yet again tomorrow with a visit to see Dad and his wife Jane in Pine Plains, which should be great in a hurry-up-and-do-nothing kind of way. From there we’ll head to Sag Harbor in NY where we will see my Mother and Brother Dylan and his family. Summertime fun and yet I’ve got about 4 days of client work a week so it will be a big of a juggling match, as usual. I continue to be very self-congratulatory about how productive I am. I have been told I could benefit from a week of silent meditation, but I feel I benefit even more from the joy of getting things done, all day every day. Go figure!