I have a fascination with shoes as objects (the image on the left is a wee painting, just about to scale, that I did many years ago). Not only are shoes interesting in their ‘vessleness’ (they hold our feet), they take on the characteristics of the wearer in a way unlike any other garment with which we clothe ourselves.
The other day Peter and I were running errands and I remarked to him that I thought we had a good life and that I wouldn’t trade places with anyone. Happily, he felt the same way.
You see, my life fits me; just like an old shoe. Broken in, imperfect (my left shoe will always be too large as I must honor the right foot, an entire size larger, when purchasing shoes), but ultimately, comfortable.
That said, merely being comfortable isn’t all there is to a full life.
At the moment we, David, Peter and I, are making some plans that could move us out of our current (and very comfortable) environment.
It began with Peter’s awakening interest in robotics and engineering. He just spent the past two weeks building and programming a robot from a kit. At the age of thirteen, he is already charting a future that would include attendance at a top tier technical university (think MIT). As his parents, we want to do whatever we can to help him realize his dreams, and a solid preparation in science and mathematics is a must. We love his little private school, but it is geared toward the liberal arts, and as a result, Peter now has a very solid background in history and languages.
Some weeks ago I began to look around for an alternative and happened upon a charter school in southern New Hampshire that adheres to the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) approach to education. We began the application process and are currently crossing our fingers that Pete will be accepted. Of course, this will necessitate a move, and we are working on that as well.
Big changes. There will likely be some discomfort in this planned transition but also several potential benefits. For instance, I might be able to reduce my travel time to the hospital to just over an hour, and David would be very close to an airport.
So I’m kind of in Cinderella mode again; looking for a magic slipper that fits all three of us; not just any old shoe.
life and breath: outliving lung cancer 