A Momentary Lapse of Reason

I must confess, I'm a chucker. I chuck first, ask questions second. I have few possessions that serve little to no utility save the occasional walk-down-memory lane. Don't get me wrong, I keep some of things matter most to me, like the hymnal my grandfather used when he led worship and the letters where my wife has poured out her heart to me. But I have little love for things that have no immediate purpose, like empty boxes.

My wife is not a chucker. She is a keeper. The picture to the right is her empty box collection. She will admit, that she doesn't have a purpose for the boxes. We are currently planning for the arrival of the baby, and realizing that we will need room for the baby's stuff. So, we've going to our large inventory and finding out what we can really do with out.

This experience has taught me a couple of things about how my wife and I vary in our thought process. I have found she is planning out for our future years in advance. She has a vision that our current living room furniture becomes our "playroom" furniture when we get a bigger house that has a basement that can be fully designated for that purpose. We currently have two desks. My idea is to downsize to one desk as we only need one. But she has a plan that one desk will eventually becomes our son when he is old enough to sit and enjoy doing his homework.

This causes a little bit of tension when I want to get rid of something that she has a plan for in 12 years (like the desk). But this difference is not something that causes rifts. Conflict like this lead to resolution and to closeness.

Last time, I learned my lesson. I wasn't going to drag my wife on some strenous hike while she was pregnant, but we both had a desire to spend some time outdoors enjoying a surprisingly enjoyable August day.

I suggest that we go for a stroll through the woods near Great Falls, MD. We departed and came through the C&O Canal National Historical Site. The site sits on a portion of the C&O Canal, the canal built in the late 1700s to move goods along the unnavigable Potomac River. This affords access to Great Falls, an impressive set of waterfalls not far from DC.

We took time to access some beaches along the river, a walk out to the falls, a short walk along the river, and a return trip along the C&O Towpath. Heather said that she enjoyed this "hike". This sparked some debate as to the criteria for hiking. Her ascertion was that any walk through the woods was a hike. I disagreed, insisting that a hike must include elevation changes.

To me, hiking has must meet all of these criteria:
1. Be at least one hour from the city/suburb where one lives
2. Involve an elevation change of at least 500 feet.
3. Be through a rural/mountainous area.
4. Require some physical exertion

This reminds me of the difference between the east and west. In the east, a view must be earned. Majestic views are not visible along the highway or byway. One must hike up to a rock outcropping to enjoy a panoramic view. When I've traveled out West, these views are unearned b/c they are easily found on the side of a major road.

When I backpacked through the White Mountains in New Hampshire, I recall how arduous it was scrambling over rock faces and climbing along the trail. But I also remember how distant the pain was when I came to the peak and gazed down into the valleys below.

Ok - I've been tagged. Unfortunately, I'm the slow guy who can't tag other people, so I spend forever being "It".

1. One book that changed your life: The Westminster Confession of Faith

2. One book that you’ve read more than once: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

3. One book you’d want on a desert island: An Idiot's Guide to Quickly and Easily Constructing an Oceanworthy Raft

4. One book that made you laugh: Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams

5. One book that made you cry: I don't remember the title, but when I was a kid I read a story about a kid whose father was a truck driver. The long trips were destroying the father's marriage and tearing the family apart.

6. One book that you wish had been written: How to Be Content

7. One book that you wish had never been written: The Koran

8. One book you’re currently reading: Successful Christian Parenting by John MacArthur

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: Cash by Johnny Cash