Life at Rancho Begley
“A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9
Used to be, the thought of sitting outside for a half-hour or hour to watch the sun go down seemed like a peculiar waste of time. Sure, it’s nice. Appreciate it, take a mental photo and go on to the next thing. These days, I’m noticing that it can greatly change appearance in a mere minute – or less. My mind, as always, wanders and considers things, but is no longer “somewhere else” entirely.
Another translation of Proverbs 16:9 is, “We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it.” I actually only planned to live in a travel trailer that would be able to go from place to place as needed. The actual goal, in lofty terms, has been to widen my view of life, and determine my place in it. Most folks have this done by the time they’re halfway through their twenties. Me, I’m more of a late bloomer. Still, I finally feel as though I’m on track. Right place, right time, right life. All of it just feels right, and necessary.
The Strolling Amok blog is ostensibly about “mobile living”, or at least one form of it from one guy’s perspective. It is that, but don’t assume that I’m evangelizing the way I’m living as some romanticized whitewash of a cure-all, a universal solution, or a lifestyle approach that’s built into our DNA. Life is a complex weave, not a single strand. What works for me will be more than unlikely to work as well for you, because you are you. Sure, it’d be great for you to try this kind of thing for awhile just to see what it’s like and broaden your experience, but will the cosmos coalesce into a meaningful core that resonates deep inside you? Nyah. It’s not the trailer, or the scenery. It’s the lack of distraction, stress, and toxic situations. That’s a universal need, but the path to get there is far from universal, isn’t it? So, this blog isn’t so much about the mobile lifestyle as it is about one schlep finally living in the right place at the right time – for him, and for now. It’s a journal of discovery. Some of what comes out of the process will be on this blog.
The tire tracks made in the photo above detract from its scenic beauty, but also serve as a reminder that I am on a path that isn’t entirely mine. It pauses here, but will not necessarily end here. Until it moves on past though, I am gratefully appreciating it, as you can see.
Strolling Amok 
Another addition to my Thanksgiving list…Doug’s peace.
Yep. I know you tend to keep a surprisingly large mental list of things to be thankful for, much of it not even directly yours. You and Matt have been on mine! Enjoy your T-day!
Doug,
Good thoughts. Even the well-meaning, in their frequent fits of magnanimity, generally commit the elementary error of assuming that what has made them happy–or relieved or healed or energized, etc.–will do so for everyone. And so it’s easy to become a self-styled prophet, or at least an insistent teacher, out to save the world by remaking it in one’s own image.
This post of yours clearly avoids that mistake.
I’m happy for you that at this “moment” in your journeys you’ve found a sense of rightness about your path. May you have many more moments of feeling in tune with yourself and the universe.
And Happy Thanksgiving…
Michael
Wow, Michael, if I were going to try to remold everybody in my image, I’d be stuffing this blog on how-to’s about whining, procrastinating, getting too preoccupied with details to be able to make a simple decision, dribbling food stains onto clothing, and why Stan Kenton’s form of big-band jazz was groundbreaking. I do have plans to eventually become a self-styled prophet, but I have to work out the details of what mail fraud is, and check in with my parole officer first.
😉
I forgot how funny you are!
Actually Chris, some of those topics COULD make interesting articles, couldn’t they? Hmmm…
I need to add that to my grateful list…Doug’s profound ability to procrastinate!
Now you’re the funny one!
It’s a good thing to be able to stop & actually notice the sun sets for what they are.
I don’t often ‘notice’ sunrise but there have been two in the last year that I did, one was in Quartzsite and a palm tree was involved, A sunrise and the palm tree, very nice! The other was watching the sun rise with the Gulf of Mexico as the horizon last month.
Well there was another back in the early 70’s, driving south towards Denver as the sun came up from the prairie, I stopped. watching it rise and looking back I could see the reflection of the light off the snow in the Rocky Mountains.
Pop! Another one surfaces… 1979 in Sacramento on the ramp at CGAS Sacramento, we are doing a full power run up of a C-130. It’s winter, I’m outside on the longwire and the sun is just coming above the Sierras, I turn around and can see the sunlight just hitting the mountains to the west.
The roar & vibration of the engines, the sunlight and the crisp winter air of that dawn. Nothing like it.
Yup Rob, there’s something about dawn and running machinery that seem to work off each other. Can’t explain why.
I’m so strongly task-oriented that I have to remember to stop and go watch the sunset! I’ve found that the remnant of cigars I wrote about before are a fine excuse, and my pipe will be a better one, once the cigars run out. Watching the sun set is a good way to take a long breath and kind of let things soak.
Finally! I figured out how to get to your blog. :o)
Worth the wait my friend!
Oh, darn that Google! I’m trying to keep people unaware of the blog so it’s less embarrassing when I make a big goof. Well, now that you’re here, welcome! Keep reading and we’ll see if you still think it’s worth the wait!
Definitely worth the wait! 🙂 I like your approach to blogging. Informative, intelligent and often introspective.
I too have been learning to slow down and truly take the time to watch the incredible sunsets we have out here in Arizona.
Thanks, Rachel.