I have a love affair with the word “Interesting." This
old word initially referred to something that drew our attention because it was
important or merely different. The infinitely curious celebrate things that are
interesting. But many people feel either "meh" or "thumbs
down" when they encounter something interesting. Generally, I celebrate interesting
things and events. But I must admit, the last three weeks have challenged my
relationship with “interesting.”
Since returning from Rockport last month, we have been in
constant motion mentally, emotionally, and physically. We have enjoyed visits
from some longtime friends and spent time with the family in Texas City. But in
between these good times, I have been fighting a battle with the US Healthcare
System, trying to sort out my thoughts on the changes happening in our society
and discerning our long-term plans. Yep, it has definitely been interesting!
The first couple of weeks after getting back from Rockport,
I began trying to sort out how to get my medications while on the road. Aetna,
our drug insurance carrier, and Caremark, the mail-order pharmacy, have not
been helpful. Aetna does not allow a 90 supply of one of my medications.
Caremark struggles to fulfill orders promptly because it takes a couple of days
to get an order approved. Then, they ship with USPS, which is notoriously
unpredictable. Unfortunately, the customer care resources online and by phone
are ill-equipped to do anything other than offer AI-generated responses to
questions. If you do not ask the right question in a precise way, the responses
are incomplete or wrong. After two weeks of life on the healthcare
merry-go-round, it became clear that there was no way I could get the meds I
needed to live my best life on the road. This meant I had to face a second
“interesting” experience. It was time to discern what our long-term future
would look and feel like.
This discernment process involved several questions: Should
we keep Koko and Nakai and go back to part-time RV life? Should we sell our rig
and travel exclusively by plane, train, and automobile? Should we settle down
in Central Texas or the Houston Area?
I used the same skills we used to discern our move to full
timing. (Thank you, St. Ignatius!) We discussed, pondered, researched,
imagined, and sat with options until our future appeared out of the mist. You
already know the result of all this. We are leaving Full-time RV life and entering
part-time RV life in Houston. We will keep Koko and Nakai for now and begin to
expand our travel repertoire as we explore new spaces and places. This process
has been interesting, But, in this case, it is like saying a visit to the
dentist is interesting. Necessary, but I am happiest when it is over.
Also, during all this, I struggled to complete a Blog Series
about life in the resistance. As a boomer, I came of age during the dawn of the
Age of Aquarius. I have never been a "hippie," but I have been a
resistor to the promotion of racism and injustice against the marginalized
because they differ from the mainstream (read white male.) Now that I am
entering the late afternoon of my Aquarian years, I need to reframe what this
resistance looks like and what it means to our society. I did this in a
four-part series of blogs on my “American in Exile” blog. It has been an interesting
(there’s that word again) exercise. I summed up a lifetime of thought and
action and reframed it for a new generation who will write their own words on
their protest signs. I found hope in this writing exercise. This hope has
always been a key component of my resistance. (Cue the song “We Shall
Overcome.”) After fighting the strong cultural headwinds of our times, the blog
gave me a hope born from our life in the right lane where joy finds its way
into my soul.
During all this exploring and pondering, we had a visit from
our longtime friends, Mike and Candy. After an enjoyable lunch, we went out and
did a little birding. Here are a few shots from our afternoon on Galveston
Island. This was a much-needed respite from all that “interesting” living.
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| The Marsh along Sportsman's Road |
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| Yellow-crowned Night Heron |
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| Great Blue Heron |
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| Young Yellow-crowned Night Heron |
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| Black-necked Stilts |
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| Hanging out a Laffite's Cove |
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| Pair of Blue Wing Teals |
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| Black-bellied Whistling Duck |
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| White Ibis |
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| Little Blue Heron |
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| A Territorial Dispute |
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| Another Territorial Dispute |
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| Bath Time |
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| Coexistence |
Dale and Terri, our friends from Missouri, came to Galveston
for some sunshine and visiting. We spent three days with them, exploring
Galveston and catching up with each other. Again, this enjoyable respite helped
me find the energy to complete our discernment of the future and reflect on our
present.
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| At the 1900 Storm Memorial |
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| The Grand Galvez |
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| Murdock's Bathhouse and the Pleasure Pier |
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| The Seawall at 25th Street. |
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| The USS Stewart |
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| Navigation Room |
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| The Bridge |
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| Captain's Quarters |
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| Crew Quarters |
Yes, it has been an interesting three weeks. But now we are
entering a time for transitions. We hope to be in our new apartment somewhere
in Fort Bend County by July 1st. Koko will be safely tucked away in
a safe storage facility and awaiting a few repairs before taking us on a short
trip in the fall. We have several family members facing more difficult
transitions, and we will also be there for them.
Our time in the right lanes of life has prepared us for this
road ahead. We make our plans but know we cannot control what happens on the
road ahead. But all shall be well as long as I can remember that it is the
journey, not the destination, that matters. Why? because I know that joy awaits
us in the right lane. Embracing the joy in the journey will make the road ahead
more than simply interesting. It will transform it into an adventure, filled
with optimism and hope.
The adventure continues, and I am glad you are still with us
in the Right Lane.
I am grateful for your companionship on this journey. Travel
well, my friends.
Bob
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| My Companion and Best Friend |
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From Right Lane Living Blog