Contented Confinement

Adventurism. Noun: Defiance or disregard of accepted standards of behavior.

I used to go into the woods for hours on my parent's farm and build forts and play with sticks and chase squirrels and often times, just sit in the silence. It wasn't an understood trigger at the time, but my soul was growing accustomed to the tranquility.

I'll take walks at lunch in the concrete world I live in now, and listen to humanization bustling throughout it's day. Buses roaring by, impatient persons honking at intersections, or construction workers earning their keep. That same childhood trigger inside of me is begging me for a remote calm that I can escape to. 

This restlessness in the soul isn't confined to a need to escape. It's also tied to a longing in the heart. I'm going to be gender specific here because that's the only perspective I have first-hand knowledge of.

As a male, growing up, and into my 20's, I didn't personally have a need for companionship. I had friends and I had family, girls were in my peripheral but not a focus.  That was part of the reasoning for the tomfoolery before maturity. The other factor was my heart just wasn't ready to let it whole self be exposed.

The beauty of our life is that each one of us gets to our boiling point of settling down at different stages, different ages, and at different paces. It's a level of courage and comfort when you are ready to let your whole self be known by another human.

A lot of my friends have gotten there at many different points in their earthly tenure. Some are ready for that as soon as the high school diploma is in hand. Others never get there. Both are okay options.

A budget is important in life. It helps you decide what you're going to spend that commission check on. Typically my conversations with colleagues lead to: investing in kids, furniture, grass seed or simply financially cutting back on the bar scene. All good, worthwhile money dumps in my opinion.

My chest hurts sometimes. The "young man" in me shakes it off. It probably is heartburn from a dietary decision, but it might not be. I typed that out for shock value, not for sympathy.

Point being, spend your money on whatever you're passionate about or life guides you to. I'm going to keep planning my next adventure because that is where my soul still lives, but if a trampoline for the kiddos makes you look back and smile, swipe that Visa.

Don't let the shade of the grass of the other side of fence fear you into stress. Walk on your own path and don't criticize other's life cadence. Yep.

New in my life: Birdhouses are Superior and are supposed to face east. Rescue Rangers isn't just a quality tv show.  Those exist with that born-on date.

Keep Smilin'

JM