Not all childhoods are spent in an environment with total freedom to explore, while running wild with imagination, and the vastness of primarily secure surroundings. I’ve experienced the other side of the coin; where there seems to be a cheerless, empty survival of the fittest. Not wanting to label such circumstances as void of all context of joy, I am reminded of the smiles on thousands of happy faces, bringing my negative instincts to a sharp halt. Not all joy is found to have the same basis of definition both present, and holding equal validity, for the people finding their own mode of comfort in self-entertainment. For example; one may love to sit reading in the park, surrounded by serenity with only birds and squirrels as company, while basking in both basic silence away from the bustling crowds, and the solitude of nature. Others may long for the high energy of a crowded city, where the constant movement of both time and progression, gives little room for static indifference to one's surroundings. Even the forgotten elderly there find a reason to have a concern; time brings change and development that become a constant threat to the comfort of familiarity, as transformation in both sustainability, and definition of viable financial expansion, are the driving forces behind most change.
In my own 60 plus years of exploration, wandering and simple dream weaving, there have been moments of the overwhelming wildness of nature at its best, while standing near, beside or under some of earth’s best wonders to behold. On the flip side, there have been moments of bitter sadness where a loss of words can be the only explanation for my utter silence. If I were a small child, I know that I would have been standing; squeezing my mother’s hand, trying to fathom the difference between what I had only somewhat understood and what I now realized was the situation of millions of others on this earth. But, here again is the tension found in both understanding our circumstances, and that of others, and in doing so discover the realization that joy is found in innovation within the environment we have. I want to return to that thought in a moment.
In my young adulthood, I asked questions about past generations. I was likely having an awakening, a transformation where my dislike for history faded, as I finally began to find context for both family and community. As I matured and my local human sources for research began to diminish, a new acceleration, in the form of family history and genealogy entered my life. Now present was the true context I needed to bring a more substantive validity to what I had always known to be gnawing at my soul. I wanted to know what stood on those old cellars, those old foundations that were the platforms for new beginnings, while holding in their walls untold adversity, but also laughter in the midst of trial, temptation and hardship. Today, my imagination does not run as wild as it once did, when I could hear laughter while surrounded by old cut stones of family home once erected with such vibrant dreams or while amidst rough gravestones with flowing tears, as I read the names of infant children lost to flu epidemics, then reducing family numbers, as it spread throughout numerous communities during certain years.
But, building new dreams on old foundations is not always about just history alone. I have the good fortune of not just survival, but growth, even through adversity as well. My personal journey has been fraught with challenges, hardships, and pitfalls that have made the journey both challenging and disheartening throughout. Yet like the rest of the world, I have found joys abundant, not dependent upon the definition of others, but in self-definition. It is somewhat like the picture we have in our minds, projected in TV ads in support of the hungry children of the world. They go from crying starving children to happy kids playing with old rims and a push stick, just like I played with in my own childhood. Perhaps I used an old car tire in place of a steel barrel rim; nevertheless I found joy in playing. I have a life-mate (My Wife) who has made the journey both tenable and more importantly satisfying; holding for me possibility more than an average lifestyle that is not based on monetary wealth, but family, friends, and circumstance supported and made possible by untold blessings. That is another story; I digress!
This year has been a year of opportunity. Time and tide wait for no man… or so the old saying relates. But, in the midst of waiting, we find ourselves (if we are seriously supportive of our personal situations… LOL) in a constant mode of reducing, repair or replace; which has been my situation in the past several years of retirement. One of the blessings in our family years ago was the opportunity to have a cottage home during my furloughs from ministerial demands. I know, it was merely a vacation, but our small bit of nature on the edge of beautiful harbour overlooking the great Atlantic Ocean and a remote ancient lighthouse on the tip of a nearly deserted island, became more than a mere retreat. It was, and has remained a haven for healing both physical and spiritual for me and I hope my family. For years we have enjoyed great neighbours across a small section of wooded area, not 100 yards from our summer home. They are precious gems and loving friends. One small cottage below us had been empty since the death of the owner some 17 years ago. That has changed in the past month.
Our cottage (Sumer residence that has turned into a fall residence the past few years) became a viable home with a modern footprint over the years. It is situated in a remote area that was once an active bustling little micro-community with a Post Office, blacksmith shop and a wharf, where fish were landed and perhaps even processed many years ago. Years took its toll and change did take place. Nowadays there are some remaining old homes, some new homes and lots of old foundations, deserted wells, now filled in and even I believe a few scattered tombstones. We embrace the warmth of most of the residents and find comfort in the blooming friendship of our new neighbours who have taken possession of the long-vacant cottage across the field from us.
It is so interesting to meet new folks and find out their ideas on both cottage life and management. We are in an area where wood heat (due to the local availability of the fuel) is second nature to the residents. Our new neighbours are more city-oriented though perhaps somewhat versed about wood heat. I chuckled to find that the gentleman, who loves the woodland, is actually a tree hugger. It is quite the feat to cross the line from the love of maintaining the forest and wanting to burn them for fuel, but the tensions created by that decision may have to be dealt with, as his own woodland holds potential as a resource for his burning needs. Excuse the pun!
Change is inevitable and we have little control over many of those changes. Some of the reason is found in our own lack of watchfulness over what is going on around us and suddenly the overwhelming stress of keeping up, catches up with us. We live in a fast-paced world. We surround ourselves with modern technology, yet we may be leaning toward a more traditional lifestyle that would better suit our personal needs or interest. Moving away from modern, centralized centers, and finding solace, comfort, and healing in a more isolated region, can create a fascinating alternative that calls to one’s basic value of life being lived.
My new neighbour asked about my writing. When the inquiry was made about what the blog was called, he beamed a deep smile as the realization hit that there was a fascinating relationship between the blog tile and the location of our cottage. For both that couple (our new neighbours) and the established friendship of another close neighbourhood couple, only a stone’s throw from us, a strong correlation between the old and the new many be found. Every year the sad moment arrives when my wife and I make our way back to our winter home, leaving behind dear friends and our lovely remote retreat. It has always been my dream to live there full time, but the courage to make that drastic a change, when we have always lived in a more central location, lays heavy upon our hearts. So, for now, we are seasonal residents only. The foundations of our lives are built on faith, hope, and trust. Does that make the insecurity with a move like that questionable if we can talk the talk and not walk the walk? I am reminded that health issues are of concern as well, but others in the area are not immune to those issues either. Our present vehicle cannot cross traverse the rough, rutted gravel roads of spring in the area. So, is it just as easy to continue as we do, rather than rearrange life to live out another dream.
For me, it is part of living on the edge. I have to consider the dreams, needs, and preferences of my spouse and helpmate, as decisions about such things are very important and should be made in concert and not as a unilateral choice. It is a fine line to walk, yet to do anything else seems too great a folly to chance in my life. I find deep solace in the joy of sporadic visits to check out our property and do the maintenance, manicure the lawns and such. I find myself almost driven to construct those items that add both convenience and esthetic value; not that looks means much in an isolated area, but we enjoy the value of how things are kept both at our cottage and our urban home. I take great joy in hearing the words of the former owner as he said, “You are doing all the things here that I dreamed that I might someday do years ago!” That was 25 years back, and it still has great meaning for me as I consider building new dreams on those old foundations, once so important to the original family, who owned over several generations, much of the area surrounding where our cottage Is located.
It takes much courage to take a leap of faith. Our new neighbours told us that the decision was not an easy one to make. There are so many variables, so many stumbling blocks that can crop up, but it was a combination of a beautiful vista, a dream to reduce the business of life and believe it or not two sets of wonderful, open, helpful and receptive neighbours. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that the true recipe for both comfort and joy in neighbourhood is being what you expect from others. We live life alongside an ocean that is constantly changing. Such is life and as the waves of change along with the tides of time bring new experiences, we learn to take a few chances building new dreams, even if they are only in small steps at a time. With faith and reliance upon God, and those He places along our paths, many of those new dreams can and do come true. New dreams can be built on some very old foundations and the view from there, though challenging, can be magnificent.
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