Wednesday, July 2, 2014

What Does One Really Need?

I am reaching a point in my life where "stuff" is starting to overflow, both materially and mentally, and it is not overflowing in a good way. I am paring down in my mind (and on the computer) the list of things that I really need to carry on. Shelter, food, bed, enough clothes, books (as much as I dislike e-readers, there is an advantage to being able to hold hundreds, nay, thousands of books in one hand...), weapons, etc. My current career requires that I have a lot of equipment at the house and in the locker at work. Plus living in one house for nearly four years, my family has discovered that we have gathered a lot of stuff that we really do not use anymore or rarely use.

What we are really missing and need in our life is family. For the last 12 plus years we have never been physically close to either side of the family. Costs being what they are, we are fortunate to see them once a year. We actually went four years early on in the career without physically seeing family due to the fact that we were overseas. Our children are at ages were they need long term interaction with extended family. Building the tribe so to speak.

At the same time, mentally and emotionally I am getting really tired of selling my soul in order to keep the family under a roof and fed. No, I am not talking about abandoning my responsibilities to my family. It is the idea that society expects us to maintain certain standards concerning health care, dental care, etc. Yes, I have family members that do require more health care than other families do. If you truly want to understand on how the Affordable Healthcare Act will affect the average citizen, take a look at how the the VA and Tricare treats the people under it care now. To be fair, my family and I have had some really great healthcare providers in the Tricare system. But there is a reason why they stand out. They are very few in number.

There are constant new regulations that dictate opinion and behavior. There are some that I either agree with or am indifferent about. There are others that I have a really hard time swallowing. I am tired of mentally redrawing that "redline" in order to just roll with it.

The crux of the question is what am I willing to do about it? I am willing to walk away in less than two years from a steady paycheck in order to risk building that tribe (with a lot of support from the side of the family that we would be building that tribe with). Things are definitely not getting any better fiscally for this country. There are jobs to be had. But not like in days of old. Old ideas of family life patterns are beginning to reemerge in this country. Multiple generations under one roof, or sharing the same patch of land is starting to look like a very good idea to many families. There is something about having that extra hand to help, and it goes both ways. Yes, in the past, many families would leave loved ones behind, knowing that they would not see them again on this plain of existence in order to better their and their descendants existence.

However, I think we are rapidly approaching a very turbulent time in this country that will necessitate the tribal concept again. I hope and pray that it does not occur, however, all signs and portents seem to indicating that it will happen.

Granted, I have not discussed here the spiritual aspect of the above thoughts, but that could be whole post in and of itself.

I am not seeking to run from life's issues and problems. My eyes are wide open. I am just really tired of life and culture trying to jam me into the mold of conformity. I have never really considered myself to be a rebel. But maybe that barbaric yawp is gaining form deep inside.

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