FOR ALMOST A CENTURY, new housing developments have been designed with a minimum of through streets and a maximum of cul-de-sacs. It’s what the market wants. A little quiet corner of the world. A retreat from the grind. With a tall wall and a locked gate. A bit of Heaven — if your idea of Heaven is something like this Talking Heads lyric:
Heaven, heaven is a place where nothing, nothing ever happens
To me, cul-de-sacs are about reducing the size of your life by reducing your exposure to it. After all, cul-de-sac is French for dead end. Or, more literally, bottom of the bag.
Even though my house was on a through street (with speed bumps, of course, to discourage through traffic), I had unintentionally created my own bottom of the bag by shrinking my life down to a world small enough to fit in my numb, depressed mind. My little routine, in my little world. I thought it was what I wanted.
But as retirement and the end of my career loomed, I was forced to evaluate my life. Retirement meant change, right? So, what and how many things did I want to change? Change it what way? Change it how much?
“I… I… I don’t want to be here,” my inner soul said. “Here” being in a house, stuck in one place.
“And I want more than… than… this.” (Gesturing vaguely at myself and the pathetic energy field I emitted.) “I want to be more.”
So here I am, more than nine years on the road, running from the literal and metaphorical bottom of the bag. My world and life are bigger, and I hope they keep growing until I reach that final dead end.
Some places, some times require fences, sometimes tall ones. Some places, some times living on a road that is not a through street is a real advantage.
Other times and places being a nomad is a viable option, we’re living in the golden age and we have a lot of options…
Life is good today.
Inspiring post. (Wish I could buy Swankie’s old tricked out vehicle.) I’m desperately in need of inspiration. Thanks for another thoughtful post.
Absolutely! It’s about listening to yourself, what it is that your soul is telling you. For years having my own little farmette dream. After living that for a few years I realized it wasn’t. Now I want to travel and see America. Maybe after a few years I’ll decide on a new life dream.
Bottom of the bag! Laughing here. Gives me another chuckle to realize those fancy house owners have no idea what cul-de-sac means