Coin Collecting

Much of this entry was "penned" while still on the trip. For some reason I was having serious procrastination issues...

Somewhere along the line, several years ago I discovered that you can buy commemorative coins at national parks and other significant places. So, I began collecting them at any place my family would visit - if they were available. I'm not obsessed by the act of collecting them but there ARE rules.
1. I have to have actually visited the place the coin commemorates;
2. The more like real coins - the better;
3. ...well, I'm sure there's probably more than two rules, but I'm really tired.

I visited five national parks in six days. I rested on the seventh day, but not enough. After that, I got into the SUV I rented and drove to Kalispell, Montana, where the next day I earned my sixth - and last - coin of the trip. I have coins from Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Arches, Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier national parks. I spent a full day in each park, soaking up the sights, hiking, and collecting my coins. I think I did justice to each of the parks accept Yellowstone. That place is just too big and fantastic to spend just a day.

In the 13 days - total - of the trip, I put 3,746 miles (and a cracked windshield!) on the rental SUV. Throughout the trip, there was an increasingly loud voice in my head asking "What is the hurry?" I didn't really have an answer for the voice.

There are lots of questions in life for which I have no answers, but it feels like this is the kind of question that shouldn't be bigger than my ability to understand it. Am I trying to hurry to get the rental back in time? Will I be out of my medications before long? Am I excited to see these places that were only green spots on the map? All of these questions are answered with a "yes" but, they don't seem enough to explain my rush.

When I arrived home, I took a couple of days off and then launched into the next phase of my sabbatical shed. It now has walls and roof framed. I worked six to eight hour days on it and beat myself up physically as I did when on worked on the floor. My hands are swollen and achy. My back hurts. I sleep very well ...because I'm exhausting myself.

Traveling or building, I am either "on" or collapsing. I know that this theme has played itself out in my "real" life as well. One of my goals for this Time is an attempt to bring a balance to my life that does not exist. It is not just a matter of realigning the hours of my day. It is tied up with realigning my priorities.

Tomorrow, Susan and I head out for another road trip: a couple of days there, a couple more days over there, a day there, and then ...further. I know that one of the reasons that I married Susan was that she brought more heart into my life. She forced me to Care more. She also slows me down and sometimes ...

I resent it. I know that she is a gift of God to my soul. We will move across our 39th anniversary while on this trip ...I hope she can get me to do it ...slowly.