Prorities

If this experience has taught me nothing, it's taught me what's important and what's not. I was driving with my Brother in Law to our house in Leadville CO to move some furniture for some future tenants. We have a house in Leadville we call our Mountain Ski Chalet; it's probably more accurate to call it our Mountain Home We Can't Sell. But hell tenants are better than an empty house. Anyway, back to my point; I knew this already, it just kind of hit me like a ton of bricks maybe because we were talking about it. We were driving Ruby, my 20 year old truck with a quarter million miles on it, and a normally aspirated small block engine pulling a trailer in the mountains. Slowly. We were approaching an area called Officer's Gulch, an area between Silverthorne and Vail, and we both admitted to the other we had to pee badly. I didn't want to stop because things were going so well (no breakdowns) and I didn't want to hex Ruby's efforts or our entire day.

We were probably a few miles to the nearest "conventional" stop when we discussed pulling over and just "whipping it out" to pee. It was then and there when the aforementioned ton hit me. There was a time when I would not do that. I would be embarrassed or caught up in propriety or whatever you want to call it; I wouldn't do it, unless it's an absolute emergency, like on our road trip back from Seattle and I had to go. Not #1 but #2! It took a severity 1 CRITICAL situation to get me to stop alongside the road somewhere in Wyoming to do what bears do in the woods. Fortunately I found a ranch exit. So to that rancher....umm.... sorry. I said all that to say this: I will 99.9% of the time NOT stop without a proper potty.

That was then; this is now. Now, I would stop without hesitating. See, stuff like self esteem and an over whelming sense of pride in self has no place in my life anymore. I mean what do I really care if anyone sees my weenie? Half of us have one, and those who don't have probably seen one, so what's the deal? Who really cares? Why is that important? Truth is, it's not anymore. Other than it might be illegal, that is. Of course, its not illegal if you don't get caught right? I have never been in that part of the local paper called "police beat" where stories of police activity are shared with the readership, and I don't want to end up there in that way. I'd rather not be in there at all, but if I must, I'd rather it be a bank robbery or something cool like that, not getting caught peeing on the side of the road. But the bottom line is, what was important to me before doesn't even register anymore. I can only have so many important things in my mind, and this Brand New Human Being takes up almost all of it, which kicks almost all other things out. I fade into the woodwork; I cease to be important; aside from my ability to change diapers, feed and love this child, I become almost irrelevant. That sounds harsh, but that's the truth. I become at least #2 and maybe less (not referring to the #2 mentioned above, I meant #2 in IMPORTANCE!). Things like regular meals, showers, shaving (never really important to me, but I include it anyway), and a myriad of personal things I used to do on a regular basis now become almost a reward. I mean I'm feeling pretty lucky if I get a shower on any given day. I didn't take one today, for example. I might have brushed my teeth, I can't remember.

It's funny how a long drive and a discussion of bodily functions can define a complete shift in my personal philosophy. kinda disgusting subject matter, but it drove home my point (heh heh). We ended up stopping at the next gas station, which was only a few more miles, and buying a diet coke to make myself less guilty for using the facilities. We never broke down that day and made it home ok.