On 5 August 1620, 121 passengers set sail on two ships -- Mayflower and Speedwell -- from Southampton, England. Their destination was the Hudson River in the New World.
It was a false start. The Speedwell proved to be so unseaworthy, that after two overhauls, it was abandoned in Plymouth. On 6 September, 102 of the passengers crowded onto the Mayflower to begin their adventure of finding religious freedom.
The voyage did not quite go as planned. Storms blew them off course, and they landed far north of their destination in Massachusetts. Within one year half of them would be dead. All of them may have died without the assistance of the local Wampanoag -- who used the English settlers for their own political purposes.
At the end of their first year, the Pilgrims celebrated a good harvest with a Thanksgiving celebration.
It may be a little early to write of Thanksgiving. At least, in its traditional sense.
But I am thankful to my brother who stopped by yesterday to share Costco apple pie with me. He was interested in why I was thinking about keeping the Salem house and spending more time in Oregon.
He reminded me that I left Salem because I was feeling too comfortable here. That I wanted to live the rest of my life being challenged, not coddled. And even though I have not had many visitors while living in Mexico, I was obviously having a good time there.
So, like the Mayflower, I am back on my original voyage. And I may end up someplace unexpected.
Cleaning out the inside of the house may not be done by the end of November. That simply means I may not be able to get the house on the market this month. But on the market it will go.
And I will be back to Mexico to live some more adventures. I have trips to Oaxaca and Chiapas planned for February. There will be plenty of posts to share from what I have heard.
Having a brother to play the role of the Wampanoag is reason enough for me to be thankful.
glad to hear you came to your senses! LOL
ReplyDeleteI am not certain "senses" is a word that applies to this past week -- as evidenced by my too-public ruminations.
ReplyDeleteJust remember, "comfortable" at a "certain age" can be a good thing....just sayin'...........
ReplyDeleteMaybe when I buy my first walker. ;-}
ReplyDeletePlenty of time for comfort later...wherever it may be...I have been in Mexico for almost 2 years now...and have never had one thought about even going back to the US for a visit...much less to live there...but then again I have no real ties up there...you will make the right decision...but our free-floating anxiety is a bit much to handle at
ReplyDeletetimes...buena suerte amigo...
Thanks, Charles. I like to think of it as "public musing."
ReplyDeleteHmmm, sounds like it is time for some serious self examination. When others opinions can sway one so easily it seems to me that ones real desires are not really known????
ReplyDeleteJust my thoughts; but this is coming from someone who is pretty stubborn and once I am set on something it takes a lot to change my mind lol. Others are not so stubborn and/or perhaps at times foolish as I.
The question came at a time when some of the same issues that caused me not to sell my house in 2008 started showing up again. I am back to my mood of Cortes burning his ships at Vera Cruz.
ReplyDeletePlease do share any and all visiting and images from both Oaxaca and Chiapas. Both states are two of my favorites. Be sure to visit Cholula and Palenque, The markets are fabulous!
ReplyDeleteBrothers with wisdom are a commodity not to be wasted. A true treasure indeed. They have insights which only come from decades of observation and a willingness to speak truth without fear of recriminations! You are certainly blessed.
ReplyDeleteI am indeed. Now, if I could only get him to visit me in Mexico.
ReplyDeleteYou can count on both text and photographs -- if the hotels have internet.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brenda. Don't be swayed too easily or quickly. Those feelings are coming up for a reason. I don't know, but from your writings, I think you need a place to experience community. Maybe it is not Mexico that is the place that gives you that sense of community. You can always postpone the sale a bit. My Spanish is not very good, but at least I can understand and communicate with most folks. I cannot imagine how lonely it would be to live alone in a place where you have a very limited number of people that you can talk with daily.
ReplyDeleteWhat she said. By the way, sorry if my last reply was a bit abrasive. I was in a grumpy mood.
ReplyDeletequote: "Wampanoag -- who used the English settlers for their own political purposes," I keep waitingto hear about the Brother's political purpose in his advice. Something straight outta Compton or Shakespeare
ReplyDeleteha ha ha, check the sitemeter, and see how many people he talks to daily.
ReplyDeleteDarrel's agenda is not very transparent. He claims I am living his dream. And I cannot disappoint my sainted brother.
ReplyDeleteI am blessed with reader's who have both wisdom and a willingness to mete it out.
ReplyDeleteI was just going through a pile of documents I did not throw out in 2008. In away, it is almost as if I have died and my family is clearing up my affairs. Perhaps that is one factor. I thought this would be easier after 4 years in Mexico. It isn't.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as one who has already bought the first walker (and the second) I can only say that there are still too many adventures out there waiting to be experienced to get TOO comfortable. I've been in Mexico almost 7 years and as yet, haven't even returned to Canada for a visit.
ReplyDeleteAnd it is so easy to slip back into comfort. It nearly seduced me.
ReplyDelete