In the beginnng

I have the rare opportunity to chronicle a midlife crisis from inception. I label it midlife only because I happen to be in midlife-I'm 46. Maybe a little beyond the median actually-but let's not split hairs.

The other day, burdened with the weight of the world, various recent events and some upcoming surgery looming, I suddenly thought of my first home as an "adult". My Serro Scotty trailer. To be precise, I was thinking of running away from it all, how bogged down we all are with THINGS, how nice it would be to run away in style, the price of an airstream...THEN I thought of my first adult home-A Serro Scotty trailer.

Suddenly, nothing else would do. I began a feverish net search, found other enthusiasts, joined the yahoo list and began my search.

Now here's where the midlife part comes in. I am not willing to chuck it all (because, it "all" is a little bit more valuable that it "all" was at 18) but I do want to explore the whole simplicity, less stuff, thing. And the Scotty will be the flagship of the fleet. Hmmmm, fleet evokes images of aquiring....not in keeping with simplicity.

COULD I pare my life down to fit into a 12 foot trailer and still keep my job? Well, the job part is really only dependant on having clean clothes-if I were living in a 12 foot trailer I'd just have my laundry done for me. But, if I am tethered to a job, I am also tethered to several small furry and scaley animals, as well as a few nice old people who I cherish.

Then the benefit of midlife hit me-I don't HAVE to choose. I can have a comfie bed and a backyard for the doglets, AND my own washer and dryer AND...the Scotty too. And I can experiment with both sides of life-the nomad and the settled and see which one suits me.

I've always been precocious. I had the little red sportscar (remember the Fiat X1-9) at 17, and a child shortly thereafter (resulting in the sale of the sportscar). Now that both are gone, I'm ready to play and lo and behold, all my friends are having BABIES. By the way, I've always worked and paid for all my own STUFF, no silver spoons for this gal.

The Scotty project is suitable for family fare, so it is something I can pursue parallel to my buds and their babies. My friends Jay and Sue are always supportive of my passions, but Jay is not likely to agree to watch the kids while Sue and I go dive with the Great White Shark....one of MY dreams. With kids in the equation for them, and old folks in my personal equation, I really can't zoom around willy nilly. Yet, I find myself looking for a great adventure.

Like Lucy Jordan, I realize I'll never ride through Paris, in a sports car, with the warm wind in my hair.....Actually, Jay and Sue and I once road through Paris (TX) in an S-10 Blazer with the warm wind in our hair....(the A/C died on Bess during a camping trip).

The "new Bess" sits out in the driveway. (All SUV's are named Bess). And, in a miracle of miracles, she CAME equipped with a trailer hitch, something I have always wanted but never had. And yes, I have a driveway, something I haven't always had. It is just waiting to become a Scotty launchpad.

So, all the basics are there. Just gotta get the Scotty. And there IS that bit about surgery next month, involving cast and 8 weeks on crutches/wheelchair. But I think the Scotty is going to be my "something to look forward to". Formerly that was occupied by trips to Mexico, however 1. Those have become neccesities and 2. they are harder to work into my schedule.

There is a potential candidate in Fort Worth-it has been used on a deer lease so I am prepared for the "green" to be that that most often resembles what appears in diapers. There are a couple of others on the horizon as well, I just have to sit patiently and wait for my Scotty to appear.