Last summer, we decided we had outgrown our house, so we began preparations to find a new house. We completely underestimated the ordeal we would go through as we undertook this move!
We started by painting every room in the house - including the ceilings. Along the way, we also put up new siding, had new carpeting put in, went through all the 'stuff' we accumulated over the last 12 years in this house (4 teenagers later), and moved what we didn't need immediately into storage. Now, 5 months later, our house is on the market, we are averaging 2 showings a day, and I'm considering booking a showing for ourselves so we can have some time at home.
If this is what we go through just to move 2 miles away, I cannot imagine what our ancestors endured as they prepared to leave, not just their home, but their country.
I have written about the journey they made, wondering what it might be like to leave - was it a decision they pondered and prayed about for a long time? Were there circumstances that made their departure hurried and unplanned? Did they ever want to go back?
When I consider the amount of effort anything took over 100 years ago, I don't think there were too many rash decisions. Only today are we living in the instant gratification society - meals prepared in under 5 minutes (microwave or drive through, 100's of television stations and a remote control to surf through them, high occupancy vehicle lanes (sane lanes) for a quicker ride to work, email/cell phones/instant messaging all keep us in touch, and the ability to shop and buy without even leaving the house (and it's not a mail order catalog, either). No, somehow I don't think Ma got the children up one day and said - 'Hurry up and get dressed - today we go to America!'
Looking back at the past has some definite advantages, as long as you don't get stuck in it and miss living in the present. It gives you a perspective that is, in many ways, similar to standing across the room from a work of art. From far away, you see the 'big' picture, the broad strokes, the context of the piece. Get in too close, and all you see is the brush marks.
Standing back, and putting yourself outside of the current stream of events that is rushing all around you can have a profound affect on you and the people around you. I encourage you to find a break in the 'time-space continuum' and consider how you fit into the big picture.
