March Madness? Oh the life of a Hermit!!
Oh my!!! March 1st
has arrived and we are happily heading into another month of the new year. Compared to last year at this time, life
finally is starting to feel somewhat normal, if that is even possible. February was somewhat uneventful, other than
we got to witness changes in the country’s overall attitude about our current
state of affairs and there still seems to be a wide-range of fear levels due to
the uncertainty of our economy, health and basic quality of life issues. Aside from these vague references, I did
manage to finally get out of town for a few days…which meant taking day trips
to Bend of all places! As I was
reflecting on how much I dislike Bend these days, I realized that the isolation
that we have all endured these past few years has left a negative affect on my
life. I no longer enjoy going to visit
other towns to explore, shop and visit…and I seem to be the happiest when I am
at home, with my little Boston dog, and doing only what I feel is necessary. The result of this is that I have become a
hermit!!!
Small town life is fitting well with my current season of life. I spent most of my adult life living in or near larger populated areas as I pursued my career which afforded opportunities to experience that would not have happened if I remained in my small town. Although my heart was always longing for small town lifestyle, I enjoyed the benefits of living in various places in the northwest. My husband had a lot to do with my levels of contentment and happiness, and I will be forever grateful for those years. Now, however, I am finding myself more satisfied with less, which includes less people, less chaos and less traffic! Now I enjoy the benefit of being with friends with whom I can meet for coffee and discussion every day if I want, participating in community events such as art classes, wine tasting sessions, lunch and dinner with people I really don’t know but appreciate, and most of all, the feeling of being known to the point that even the ladies in the post office noticing if I have been gone for a few days warms my heart! I like waving at people I know (and sometimes people I don’t know). I love the fellowship and bond I have with members of the church I attend and love learning from them in weekly and monthly bible studies. I love waking up each morning with the anticipation of watching the sunrise and admiring the beauty that each morning offers. I love snuggling under the blanket with my little dog while I do my daily devotions and meditation and listening to a wide variety of podcasts and audio books.
So…is being a hermit so bad? Not really…just like everything else in life, it is all about perspective!
