To be a proper Southern woman you must excel in three key areas: You must be able to fry up a chicken and pair it with saccharine sweet tea good enough to make a grown man cry. You must make peace with a teasing comb and can of White Rain, so that you can create a big hairdo (at least when the situation calls for it). And you must skillfully perfect your verbal gymnastics so that whether you are offering a sincere compliment or a stinging insult, no one can tell the difference.
Sugar coated speech is hallmark of the South, and like the strike of rattlesnake, an insult can come out of nowhere and leave you dazed and confused. For example, if a southern woman smiles sweetly and drawls “Bless your heart” what she means is “You are perhaps the biggest idiot I have seen in good long time.” Or if she sidles up next to you and whispers in your ear “We need to pray for Sister Susie” what she means is “I’m about to drop the biggest load of gossip this side of the Mason-Dixon, but I don’t want you to think I am a sinner.”
Going against all good breeding, I am going to try to speak plainly-with no sugar coating or stealthy speech to muddle the message.
As we draw closer to our MOART (Mother of all Road Trips) launch date, we are finding that we are sharing our plans with more and more people. I have been surprised at how strongly people react to hearing about our plan, but predictably, people have one of the same two reactions. Some of the people react with excitement and enthusiasm. They can’t wait to hear the details of what we will see and where we will go and whether we will be keeping a journal of our travels. (Obviously we will!)
Then there is the other group. This group of people uses words like “crazy” or “insane” or “I can’t imagine!” Their questions are always couched in the negative-‘How will you possibly work while on the road with four kids?” or “Don’t you think you will get tired of being together?” or “What will you do if something breaks down?”
My sugar free message is for these people-the people who just can’t comprehend why a family would want to travel the country and how they can make it happen. You do not understand because you have not yet found your passion. Yep, doesn’t get any more plain than that.
This trip is our passion. Thinking about it fills us with such fire that we are willing to overcome any obstacle that stands in our way. And, as I have said before, we are not without fear or realism when it comes to this trip. We are just more afraid of not doing it than we are of any of the list of things that might go wrong.
Realistically, we know that we might fail. We could experience irreparable breakdowns. It might actually be impossible to work in a camper surrounded by family. Confining the energy of four boys into 300 square feet might actually be a fate worse than death. We just won’t know until we try, and our passion is what moves us forward. We are willing to risk totally failure in order to avoid the tragic failure of not trying in the first place.
So, my dear friends-you who find our simple little pursuit to be “crazy, ” ask yourselves if you have something in your life that you are willing to risk it all-even failure-to achieve. Your passion won’t be the same as mine, but you should search for it all the same. You will know that you have found the first time someone says “That’s crazy!” Of course, you’ll never hear those words from me, because I know what passion feels like, and I know what it can drive you to achieve.
~I am linking up with R We There Yet Mom to share my Friday Daydream~
What a beautiful post, Jessica! I'm in the "GO FOR IT"! crowd.
What a wonderful post and I am not sure what all you are doing but it sounds neat and I am Proud of you for doing it.
Thanks Glenda! We are taking off on a three month RV trip around the country with the kids.
Wonderful post! I've had many passions, including the homebirth VBACs of my middle sons… and yes, I did end up "failing" with one of them, but I picked up and rolled with the punches! Being passionate about something certainly means that you explore it all – so when people mention all of the what ifs, I don't know if they realize that we've already gone back and forth and have probably thought of 634059845 ways things could go terribly wrong – but our hearts lead us to do what we must to fulfill the goal and quench that passion. 🙂
I'm really exicted for you guys. I'm excited to see how this trip plays out and to hear of all of the wonderful adventures you have.
I have a friend that lived in an RV with her family (I think she had 6 kids, but now I can't remember!) and she enjoyed it for several months before deciding to settle down a bit. She certainly has no regrets, though! I think it's awesome… what a fun experience for your children.
I`m totally supportive and I`m also more for total failure, than for tragic failure of not trying in the first place! Go for it!
There is nothing more driving than passion, once you found it. Amazing post, Jessica, and I think it's awesome that you guys are taking this trip and living your dream! I cannot wait to hear every little detail.
I love reading stories like these, as they are so encouraging for all of us to keep traveling with families! We need to set a goal of doing this one summer.
Well said! I'm definitely on the side of being a MOART enthursiast. What an awesome experience it will be. Really enjoyed the proper southern woman insights, too!
Getting to know you and other travelers has encouraged me to dream bigger. A long family RV trip is not for everyone, but I think it's great that you have found a way to make your dream happen. I have no doubt that you will look back on this trip fondly. Any hiccups along the way will just provide you with more good stories to tell.
Have a wonderful adventure and take lots of pictures!!
I can't wait for your MOART!! I could never survive 3 months in an RV so I'm glad you are doing it so that I can experience it vicariously! 🙂 Hope the preparation is going well!
Another awesome post! I love what you wrote –> "We are willing to risk totally failure in order to avoid the tragic failure of not trying in the first place". I think it's so great that you're fulfilling YOUR dream. For all the naysayers, I hope you give them links to all your posts after your trip and show them it's possible. I am one of your MOART fans and anticipating the exciting stories on the road.
What a lovely post…I can relate! As a southerner, I also know exactly what you mean about "bless your heart!" Very inspiring and well written- I look forward to hearing about your journey!
Cool! It's so great that you are following your passion. I can't wait to read all your posts from the MOART.
I totally support anyone who wants to live a life less ordinary! Reach for your dreams! There are no failures, only experiences!
No one ever cheered anyone for thinking small. You know though I agree with you. There will be people who say what you are doing is crazy, but those people cannot dream to think big. They cannot see the greatness in doing something that brings you out into the unknown without a definitive result. I praise you for that. I'm sure even the problems will eventually be some of the best memories from your trip. Living passionately is better than living meekly..
Reading this months after you wrote it I just have to smile over your opener. I know you aren't crazy, and I have lived in the south, so I know those backwards comments when I see them… most of the time. You lived your dream woman. You survived. You showed the world that you are not crazy, and you can do it. Now you just have to plan that Western half of the country trip so they can really think you are nuts. Then again that may just be my desire to see you and the boys up in Seattle 😉