Middle America's Civilization

We have reached civilization.  Not that we have been in the woods for long, but it is amazing how accustomed I had become to the conveniences of life prior to my homeless venture.  Sleeping in a tent has been comfortable, warm, and dry.  We have not had any inclement weather and we have only been a short walk to the bathrooms that have always had showers.  Mind you several were coin operated and the last one seemed to be $.25 for 10 seconds although it was advertised as 40 seconds.  I had only two quarters and it took at least 30 seconds for slightly warm water to rain down.

Complain, Complain.

It isn't that I am completely spoiled, for the first 3 or 4 years of my life we didn't have a bathroom in our house. In spite of that fact, we had a bath every Saturday night whether we needed it or not. My mom, a Nebraska farm girl who grew up during the depression, boiled the water on the stove and poured it into a tin bathtub that she had brought into the kitchen.  I was youngest so I got my bath first.  Then my mom would bathe in my water.  She would then change the water and the start the same process for my brother and my father.... thankful as I, that I didn't have little sisters.

The memories of my childhood reinforce my knowledge of how basic a person can live...how to make do.  They are also a reminder that tent camping with facilities is better than many people live.

When living with more basic elements, it also becomes apparent that no one cares what you look like.  So you go to the public bathroom dressed in leggings, athletic socks, slippers, night gown, shirt, down vest, or hair askew, fellow campers accept this as the norm.  You may look like a homeless person with several mixed matched layers while you are standing in  your outdoor kitchen cooking breakfast, but that is the norm. YOU ARE CAMPING!  ROUGHING IT!  The more surprising fact is that WE HAVE CHOSEN TO LIVE THIS WAY.  Again a reminder that many people living in this world have not chosen such a plight.  Without fault they have little means to clean themselves, wash their clothes, cook a good meal, have shelves to store things, a dresser, a closet, a refrigerator....you get the point.

Tonight we have reached civilization.  We have access to civilization as we baby boomers in middle America know it.  We are at my cousins house in Salinas California.  She is on vacation in Michigan.  Although we wish we could see her, it did dawn on me that we have not really had a house to ourselves since May 15th. We are sitting on the couch watching the Olympics.  We have running water, two bathrooms, a very big memory foam bed, running water, dishes, a refrigerator, a stove, running water, you get the idea.  A mansion in the midst of California.  Something we often take for granted ever day, until of course we tent camp.

We should go explore the coast tomorrow, but we might just stay in.