I have been contemplating writing my weekend recap and found myself bored by the prospect, which is why I’ve put it off till Tuesday afternoon. I did have a busy weekend- attend a craft party, helped a friend move, did some outreach with our Lifegroup, went to a movie, saw the fam for Father’s Day, took my normal Holy Sunday Afternoon Nap, etc. Good times. Busy times.
Instead, I’ve been pondering a conversation that I had Friday night after the craft party, with my new friend Erin. We went to get coffee after the party, because neither one of us was ready to go home yet. We chatted about the party, her impending baby, my job search, and…why we blog. She has a ‘family’ blog, one that she updates sporadically and mostly for a limited, family audience. She didn’t know that the largest (and arguably, most powerful) segment of blogger is that of ‘mommy blogger.’
She then asked me, “well, how do you categorize your blog?”
Um, good question. One that a lot of people have recently been asking me. You’d think that the name would be self- explanatory, but no. A lot of people don’t understand the concept of a small adventure. Our culture is so wrapped up with BIG Adventures: College, Getting Married, Buying a House, Having Kids, etc (and preferably in that order), that we often miss the small adventures- the perfect cup of coffee, the way pool water ripples when you stick your feet in, how cute your spouse is when he’s sleeping, etc.
For me, recognizing the small adventure is closely tied with being thankful and content in what I have. Personally, I struggle with wanting to move on to the next “Big” Accomplishment, er Adventure- without regard for pacing, timing or anything other than my desire for a house (the novelty of apartment living is waning) and a baby (hormones!!). My “Wanter” gets going and its like trying to reign in a wild stallion plunging from its stays- out of control!!
This blog then, is a effort to stay focused on the NOW, on what is good in my life, be it small or otherwise. In addition, in recording what small adventures that I partake in, I create a record of the good times and create the possibility for more adventure, simply by actively looking for it. This is not to say that I don’t expect to participate in the ‘bigger’ life adventures (like child bearing), or even in what I like to call “Grand” adventures- which to me are more along the lines of trips (preferably international), daring feats (skydiving, bungee-jumping, etc) or impressive accomplishments (publishing a book, meeting the President, etc). Really, I think that people that embark on Grand adventures must also live lives of small adventures, in order to get there- I mean, you don’t just wake up one day and decide to climb Mt. Everest. Or maybe you do. I certainly don’t. I’d rather stay on my couch.
Thus, for me, small adventuring is not so much something to do, but rather a way to live. It is not easy for me to stay focused on the good, and live in the present- and to take the time to record my interaction with those adventures- as is evidenced by this blog’s sporadic posting schedule. But! it’s all a work in progress, so I refuse to feel guilty about the irregularity of my posting. “Small Adventures” is about participating in life’s adventures, big and small; taking the time to acknowledge the now; and enjoying life with relish. or mustard. Whatever you like.
