My husband once threw a legendary fit. In a room strewn with inert children and un-put-away stuff, he declared our kids “like a bunch of hobos”. This struck me as funny, and right. We have a house, we do, but right now it functions more like sleeping quarters. We live out of our car.
This is not a complaint. We choose this life, a life of running, and we are privileged to have this option. We run from after-school activities to evening events to weekend happenings 6-7 days a week. On our way, we do our best to find time together as a family. We grab time with friends and our bigger communities.
Weekdays, it’s usually me and my kids. I circle, delivering one child to point A, taking another to point B, returning to point A, etc. On a good day, I see my roles as shuttle driver and food truck operator as fun, worthwhile sacrifices. Other days I think I’m Sisyphus, expending energy but unable to call it work, stuck in a never-ending loop that yields no progress, unless you call fast food and hobo-ism progress. I do not.
This is my life, and God willing, it will be like this for a while. I might get used to it, but I would rather get better at it. That’s what this month in my little town is all about: learning to thrive as a family on the run.
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Amazed with 2 kids, 13 & 14 (soon to be 15), how much running needs to be done. I tip my cap to families that have 3+ kids. Once where I had a fear of my son driving, I might actually be looking forward to it, creating some freedom :)
ReplyDeleteRob, I've heard that. All that time we spend hauling kids, and waiting for kids, can soften our point of view about our potential young drivers.
DeleteI've also seen, at least in our area, that teens are less anxious to get their licenses. I sometimes wonder if that's a byproduct of all the running we do on their behalf. Rob, or other readers, do teens in your area tend to wait to get a driver's license? If so, why?
Rob, thanks for stopping by.
Fellow Blogahoner...loved your title! I recently wrote a piece on Hobo-marketing.
ReplyDeleteI've been there and done that. Such a relief when each gets a license or a bike or a long board and the courage to set out on their own. The world becomes their oyster and you are freed up to wonder when they'll come home. :-)
Hi Carrie, first let me apologize for misspelling your name in my comment over at your fantastic website, http://bizziwriter.com/! Second, thanks for stopping by. I've got mixed feelings about those future days - I picture it as a constant stew of joy and dread. I'm only a few years out from my oldest getting behind the wheel. Looking forward to reading your blog!
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