Spooky

Since our living situation is a little out of the ordinary, the five of us who live in our own tiny-ish house on the same piece of property call each other ranch-mates. Of course, we don’t have the right to imply we live on a ranch. We live on 20 acres south of Tucson, none of us know anything about livestock or land management, and if you called out “Hey, city folk,” we’d all turn our heads in your direction. Still, we like to think of ourselves as cowgirls/boys.

Today is in the 80s with an endless blue sky. The mornings are fresh. The afternoons cozy. The nights downright cold. I’ve given up watching the weather because I just end up feeling sorry for most of the country. Our weather this time of year is perfect.

Still, I woke up a little depressed today. I wandered into the bunkhouse (our common space) to find ML nursing a cup of tea.

“You look a little down,” she said. She’s spooky that way.

“I guess I am,” I confessed. “Although I have no good reason to be.”

“You mean other than the fact that this country just elected a rapist and traitor.”

I let the microwave drown out my answer. “Yeah, other than that.” 

“Well, Sweet Babe. There is no hiding from it. You can pretend it didn’t happen. You can stop reading the news. You can disconnect. But it is still happening whether you’re tuned in or not.”

“I know. I know,” I complained. “But I still don’t need to drink the poison every day.” Being a kindergarten teacher for 40 years, ML had little tolerance for whining or commiseration.  I thought about taking my tea back to my porch but ML has a way of getting you to sit-down and listen up.

“Listen, Kiddo. You’ve got to have a plan B. I’m not saying this is pre-WWII Germany. I’m just saying you have to be ready if it is. This is not the time to wallow. It’s time to buck up.”

“So what’s your plan?”

“I’m on step one: researching 6 countries I could live in for six months at a time.”

“Why six countries? Why six months?”

“Most places will give you a travel visa for six months. That gives me three years to figure out where we’re headed.”

That didn’t seem too crazy. “Have you come up with any countries yet?”

“Early days,” she answered. “But I think the five of us should begin a conversation.”

I’m the kind of person who likes to coast. I’m not very proactive. I like to see what happens and react to it. I’m not sure that making plans and pushing through gives your destiny a chance to be fulfilled.

ML rinsed out her cup and put it back in the cupboard. “Don’t wait for your spirit guides to lead you,” she said and walked out the door.

Spooky.