Downsizing Nearing Completion

Today was dedicated to cramming far too many material possessions into a much smaller dwelling.  On the upside, we got rid of quite a bit of excess material.  I feel pretty good about that part of things.

That said,we have quite a bit of progress left to make.  I feel good about that as well, but now it will be interesting to see if we can follow through on what promises to be an excellent opportunity.

Even with all the comings and goings, the sunset tonight was pretty spectacular.

Soccer Sunset with Moon 0 Annapolis, MD

The younger male roommates were playing a soccer game, and even though we were more than a stone's throw from the water, the light show was worth a glance to the heavens.

We'll see what happens tomorrow. A busy day is in the offing, and it will be fascinating to see how it plays itself out.

Sunset on an Era

We're done with our old accomodations.  About half our material possessions are moved out, and it's apparent to me that some downsizing is in order. I'm tired, and it's hard to tell how this is all going to work out.  That said, I know that it will work out for the best.

I'm going to break a guideline and post a picture from yesterday. I've kept up the daily practice in fits and spurts, but getting interesting photos today just wasn't in the cards. The one from yesterday captures my mood. We're putting things in the rearview mirror, and the initial indications are that this is going to work out for the better.

Rearview Mirror Sunset - Bowie, MD

I've missed a couple of days because I fell asleep meditating. I guess I needed the rest, but I know that tomorrow will be a new day in a new house and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.

Culminating Moves

Labor Day this year was spent laboring at getting ready to move from the six bedroom five bath mini-mansion into the three bedroom one bath apartment. One reasonable conclusion for all this is that we have fare too much stuff, and it's doing a pretty good job of owning us right now. Frankly, it's a little grim, and I'm not sure we're going to be ready to fit it all into the smaller place that's headed our way later this week. The sun is setting (I hope) on the era of out greatest excess.

Sunset - Halligan Hall - United States Naval Academy

In spite of the stress involved, I really am hoping we can leverage this move into a more spiritual existence. Having fare too many material things has proven to be no real way to go about living in terms of being able to fulfill our spiritual purpose, and I really feel that this way of life has reached a crisis point.  Even on the third round of minimalism when I thought things might be winding down for me, I've found a pile of stuff that just needs to be shed in order to be a happier person.

Leading my family into this new way of life is proving challenging, but I hope this change in circumstance forced on us by people who were only seeking to do us harm flips the script and proves to be one of the best things that's happened to us in a awfully long time. It's hard to see how that's going to work from the chaos that's ensued over the last couple of days, but I remain hopeful.

Folks say that everything happens for a reason, and I'm hoping that tomorrow those truths reveal themselves in all of our lives.

Burning Bridges...A Little

One of the reasons that the idea of a long pilgrimage appeals to me is the chance to have some time and space to reflect on what the next course my life should take. It's a way of heading off into the sunset a little to gain some separation from my day job from the last twenty years.

Heading North - Sunset on the Severn

It's a bit like burning bridges (or my own ships) upon reaching a place that's rife with the potential for discovery.  I'm not dissatisfied with my work, but over the last two decades my world view has matured a little, and it's time to get some distance and see if it holds together. I also want to get out on the trail and reconnect (or possibly connect for the very first time) with an American people that I take on faith to be mostly good honest, hard working folks.

Before all that can happen, we'll get through some moving activities tomorrow if everything goes according to plan. It rarely does go according to plan, but I'm looking forward to the adventure at any rate.