An experiment in unplanned living.
It all started when I finally decided not
to go to my sister’s for Christmas: stopped from traveling by a broken arm
early in 2016 and home alone for the first time in my life I grew accustomed to
the pleasure of being home and doing less. My major trip for the year was
Alaska, first for a few days, then a cruise down to Vancouver, Canada then
across to Banff and Jasper and all the wonders of fairly untouched nature – all
this with the oh-so-pleasant company of my brother and sister-in-law.
When I moved down from my mountain rental
for the last time (another story) and started “planning” Christmas I realized
that the thing that I wanted most was simply to stay put and enjoy my life here
in Geneva.
I took that a step further when I realized
that – perhaps also for the first time in as long as I can remember – I had NO
appointments whatsoever on the calendar from the 24th – 31st
of December. Ah the possibilities!
First decision: not to make any plans more
than 24 hours in advance – one that I have managed to stick to for 5 days now
and one that has brought normal daily activities, but also the extraordinary.
As a family we held Christmas Friday night
the 23rd – my older son having rented a place in the mountains from
the 24th – 31st. I also loaned him the car thus putting
myself truly into slow mode – walk or take the bus. Saturday the 24th I decided that
it was my day for attending all the possible Christmas programs that I could
manage. This involved soup in the
village (the city councilor’s provided soup, dried meat, cheese, bread and a
lovely Christmas cake – I actually knew half the people who attended) at noon;
a trip into town to have coffee with a friend made back in 2002 and who providentially
was visiting from Budapest (had I made plans I wouldn’t have been able to meet
up with her so although I won’t actually count my blessings, this was one);
attended the Anglican churches service in St.Peter’s cathedral – a half-hour
organ concert, a professional choir and a beautiful ceremony; returned home for
a couple of hours and a snack then as a fitting end to the day walked up to my
village and attended midnight mass there. Christmas Day began on a very high
note, if little sleep.
Christmas Day I enjoyed lunch with my upper
neighbors then the next three days managed to stick to my “unplanned” until the
night of the 28th when life decided that if I wasn’t planning
anything, it would sneak in something unwanted and totally unplanned: the flu!
So here we are well into the New Year and
no more plans were made even an hour or two in advance as I went about the
business of being sick – somehow this was NOT the type of unplanned that I
appreciate!
