The thing about adventures is that you can’t really avoid them - nor resist them. My family is about to embark on an adventure - moving ourselves from a place we’ve become very comfortable - to somewhere new. I’ve had a few fab adventures in my life. 
- A 1974 baby blue super-beetle crammed to the max - driving…. until I hit the place I would eventually begin University… It taught me to trust where the road leads.
- An abrupt decision to take off with a boy… to the University of California @ Irvine where he attended… For the summer we lived in a shed in his friend’s backyard in Redondo Beach - we were dirt poor… lived on “love” (Although I did work for a brief time in a liquor store, I was not a citizen nor was I of age. But mostly I made sandwiches and snafooed the old bread to feed to the seagulls early in the morning on Avenue D). One of the best adventures there was picking up some hitch-hikers from England (Alison & Phil were aspiring musicians)… they lived with us in the shed for three weeks. That taught me the value of being spontaneous… and the reality that whilst being hungry and living in a shed by the ocean might sound really fabulous, it’s nice to have a “permanent” spot.
- My family…. Especially the offspring. Having my children were my most excellent adventures. They still are.
But… while adventures ultimately teach us wonderful things about life and about ourselves, it’s really easy to resist them. The status quo is good because it’s comfortable. And my little Max showed a bit of resistance the other day as I was packing up some boxes:
Max: I don’t want to move.
Me: Oh sweetheart… We’re going on a fabulous adventure!
Max: Didn’t you already live in that city once before?
Me: Yes - when I was young.
Max: WELL YOU ALREADY HAD YOUR ADVENTURE AND I DON’T WANT MINE!!!
Me: I don’t think you can give away adventures….
And I don’t.
So even though packing up boxes really, really sucks… carpe diem.
I think we sometimes don’t know it’s an adventure until afterwards…he’ll thank you someday, I’m sure.
December 17th, 2007 at 1:20 pmI often told my Dad when I was small that I didn’t care for adventures. Before every nature walk through the forest I would check to see if “adventure” was on the agenda. He always said the same thing “Of course not my little hobbit!”. I’m so thankful that it secretly was!
January 9th, 2008 at 2:53 pm