have you lost your mind?

A valid question from my mother during our last phone conversation. I had been telling her for months of my intentions to travel with Cricky and drop out of "normal" living, so this was not news to her. Yet I just announced our first destination, a goat farm community in Northern Florida, with a destination date set, and so she responded quite appropriately. I thought this was a good opportunity to speak my Truth regardless of how uncomfortable it may be for the receiver to hear, and so I answered that "YES, I have lost my mind, and intentionally." We both giggled.

She asked if I could understand why she thought it seemed crazy. And I do understand. I get it. I told her that I would think she wasn't really listening if she seemed to fully go along with it.

Leaving comfort and security to head for the unknown, and making the shift of working less for monetary returns and more on a barter system could appear to be crazy.

But, is it?

I've come to believe that comfort can be dangerous and that is where the true craziness is. There's little room to grow when there's too much comfort. There's little motivation to look outside of yourself when you're too comfortable. And too much comfort makes for a boring, uninspired and confined existence. As far as security goes, I've tangoed enough with earning money, losing money, and unpredictable circumstances that shatter "security" to understand that security is the largest emotionally invested illusion going in human life. We don't really control anything through diligent preparation, rather it's just our minds working, and usually in over-drive, to make ourselves believe that we have everything under control.

So, why would I not want to leave this cycle now and see what's on the other side?

My mother listened with intrigue.  It may have given her comfort to know that we weren't abandoning society with total recklessness. We gave time and energy into researching others who have made similar journeys, and we saved money for stuff like health care, random emergencies, and our let's get back to civilization fund (if it becomes necessary to break that piggy-bank open). You know,  for when we come to our senses again.   (-:

Sending out a Big Namaste to my mom for listening. I Love You!    

~Deb