"Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome"
~Clint Eastwood as Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway in "Heartbreak
Ridge"
One truth about this kind of living is that we have to adapt different rules for a different kind of space. I've previously written about the change in cleaning style, the joys of learning a new way to cook and living with a toddler on board. But there also have to be some changes made to the way we live our lives and the reasons behind our decision making.
This past month one of our fuzzies (Mogi) bit Caleb on the forehead. Surprisingly it was unprovoked. We had to make the decision pretty immediately to get rid of him. It was sad and emotional because we had him almost five years and he was part of our family. But it was necessary. We couldn't keep a 90 lb dog in 36 feet if we were afraid of our little boy being bitten. Would this situation been different if we lived in 3600 feet?
On a much lighter note...we previously never had a tv in the bedroom. But since our child sleeps in the front of our house and goes to bed at 8:30 (unless we allow him to eat graham crackers, bounce on the couch and play Lego while he sings Old MacDonald until midnight) we sometimes watch a little tv in our bed...and sometimes eat in bed and have been known to drink wine in bed. If we had a two story house and a family room would we still do more in our bed than what we should be doing (OK, I regress here).
We recently went through Caleb's toys and had to donote what seemed like car loads. Maybe it's because we are older parents of an only child but his stash tends to grow larger with every retail stop. And we've learned that bribery is an excellent parenting skill no matter what Dobson says. Would the kids at the charity center be as lucky if we had a playroom?
Along those same lines we realized that after a year of living in the BigTruckNewHouse our closet was getting smaller and smaller. We must part with at least half of these clothes. We must invest in a 3-in-1 parka and shed all of these jackets and coats. After all, we calculated that if you wear your jeans twice in a row and do laundry once a week you really don't need 16 pair. Would we keep them if we had a walk-in closet?
And let's not even talk about the accumulation of hair products, potions and lipstick...
So we're learning to make decisions differently. I like that quote above from Heatbreak Ridge. I've remembered it for many years. Seems like a good way to view life and maintain some serenity no matter how you live - whether it be in combat or in an RV or combat in an RV.
Now if I could just hold onto that serenity when I'm in Walmart and Caleb begins to scream for a new toy.
