Editor’s note: Mark Bradford is contributing occasional posts from his diary on traveling the country with his wife Wendy while they rent out their Mishawaka home for six months.
Day 95 of our 190 day sojourn
September 28, 2023 — Indianapolis
Half way. Halftime. Intermission. Turnaround point
Whatever you want to call it, Wendy and I are there.
Ninety-five days in and 95 to go.
Thanks to our readers for sticking with us.
Wendy and I have driven several thousand miles across North America and halfway to the Pacific Ocean and, to put it short, it has been a wonderful experience overall. I have climbed too many rocks, Wendy has heard too many complaints, but other than that, it has been great.
So this week we are on Day Four of our grand baby watch in Indianapolis. The soon-to-be young man can make his appearance any time and, while we wait, we are enjoying cutting grass, making meals, doing trimming and hanging out with our 3-year old grand daughter.
We have reunited with our dog, and at first she was glad to see us. Now she has found her closet in which she hides so all is as normal as can be.
It is hard to pick a highlight, but I will say everyone should go to Nova Scotia and spend a week in a fishing village. And everyone should spend a week in a basement apartment close to a big city.as we did in Denver. Other than that, if you are a beach person, go to the beach. If you are a mountain person, go to the mountains. If you are a stay-at-home person, stay at home.
I highly, highly, highly recommend the disconnect, however. Being human does not necessarily mean accumulating stuff, or volunteering for good causes, or even gathering awards at work. Being human, in my opinion, is a balancing of inside satisfaction with outside interests, including being a positive human influence. Disconnecting allows you to take a breath and evaluate what is truly important.
Wendy and I have certainly disconnected from our daily routine and, while it has had its ups and downs, we have discovered that, because we planned so well in our younger years, we can afford to drive around with virtually everything we need in the back seat and trunk of our car.
Of course, we know that style of life in not sustainable, but the 6-7 month disconnect has cleared our heads and made us more appreciative of not only what we had and what we have, but it also is giving us a clearer view of how we wish to live the rest of our lives.
So, one of the things I do as a grandfather is write a one-page letter to each of my grandkids to be opened on their 16th birthday. Tonight, I will write that for our yet unnamed grandson. I will be 86 (if I live that long) when he reads it. Each one is totally different and I seal it in an envelope and delete the letter on my computer so that, what they read (out loud, I hope) is new to everyone.
Again, thanks for reading the blog. Halfway there and as Paul McCartney wrote, “It’s Getting’ Better all the Time.”