winter and how the people had flourishing farms complete with horses, cows, sheep, chickens, and rabbits. So, it shouldn't have surprised me when I read that Capt. Jim Sharp moved an old horse barn with a "power wagon" (I thought that being from Maine, he might have modified a station wagon with beefy tires or something like that). I didn't know a power wagon was a form of truck that looks like this.
He moved the barn from its pilings, over a gravel gully and through a parking lot onto the landing in Camden to become the captain's woodworking area when he needed to make repairs for any of his sailing vessels. I guess you're wondering what all this has to do with us and being Nomadic Americans?
Everybody thought that Jim Sharp was crazy. There are people out there who think we are just as nuts. However, Jim Sharp lived his dream to do what he wanted and needed to do before he couldn't. We are also living one of our dreams...in that light, is it really craziness after all?
I finished reading Reckless Abandon and began Will in the World --How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt. In Will's childhood, Latin was the country's language. He was a word lover. The long school days kept him enthralled as they learned by rote Latin. The curriculum consisted of mathematics and Latin. So, from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. six days a week, the boys were drilled and if they didn't behave were beaten on their buttocks. To break up the monotony, they would put on plays. Since only boys were educated, there were little to no scenes with girl parts in them...it was considered a sin for a boy to kiss another boy in the 1500's. Will was raised Catholic, yet followed the mores of his day. Although the Church tried to abolish pagan rituals, the land was filled with spring rites via the May Day Celebration of the pole dance...and other wild, erotic fertility ceremonies throughout the year. Traveling minstrels came to town often and his father, being the administrator in charge, had the last word about them performing in their town. To the betterment and amusement of little Will, he sat front and center to see the shows.
Like Will, Dave and I being journalists, are sitting front and center noting the daily events of our lives. Our discussion today focused on what it means to have an adventure. Wikipedia says its an exciting or unusual experience. It may also be a bold undertaking with an uncertain outcome. At first I didn't really think we were doing anything that far out of the ordinary. Our lives have always been lived on the edge. We homeschooled when it wasn't a popular thing to do. Jobs came and went, we relocated once already from state to state, apartments too, then houses...cars and trucks were bought and sold. No big deal to me until now when a van paid for August's rent, the Mustang gave us the cash for the camper and trip west. This seems important; more important in my emotional intensity invested here. We want our independence --our own roof over our heads. We want to be confident with our choices, but it is all out of our control.
Time has stopped. We are living by the sun, and our daughter's morning routine (for the moment). There is no rushing or deadlines to be met. Every little thing has taken on meaning or become something to think about. It can be a big thought - like should we feed the hungry or go into Syria? Or it can be mundane - like what's for dinner? (Don't spend all our money on food for fancy dinners here! We still have to get west!!)
We won't be in a canvas covered wagon with an oxen, but it will be ours.
Until next time,
The Happy Campers,
Jill & Dave
My favorite motto:
ReplyDelete"Why be normal?"