Winter is for Thinking

This is #2 in the "Can you describe what it is like to live on an Island" series.
We live in a place where one can think. I know I might be the posterperson for adult ADHD but I was finding it harder and harder to carve out space in my life for uninterrupted thought before we came to the Island. From the point of view of someone who recharges batteries by turning things over in my head, this was difficult. Don't jump to the conclusion that life is not truly busy here. We have kids and dogs and work, house and yard and exercise and responsibilities that take up lots of time. But there is space to think, here. We used to drive an average of four hours a day when we lived on the mainland. Some days here, we don't use the car at all. One tank of gas lasts us two weeks, maybe more. That drive time is ours to use now, for thinking, or walking, or working, or reading. This is a restoration...like getting back something lost. And when we do drive, thirty miles an hour is sufficient. No harrying traffic. No white-knuckle, multi-lane Interstate merges to raise the blood-pressure and force all of the thoughts out of your head. The only distraction besides the overwhelming beauty and unbelievable color in the scenery is the need to be sure to wave at any traffic that might come from the other direction because it is someone you know and are glad to see.
Thinking time is wonderful. So refreshing to contemplate something new, sort out something troubling or disconcerting, make a mental list of things to research when you are able, formulate questions for your own subconscious to turn over...pray. Nothing organizational, really...that's more like what I do with my work time. It's the free brain stuff that is so good. Ideas that won't come to the surface until the noise and distraction and talking stop are allowed to bubble up with creativity in the atmosphere here. Not really a lot in the environment to force your attention away from your thoughts, no advertising, blinking neon, billboards, signs, or street and traffic lights. Some of my adult kids have withdrawal symptoms when they visit. For anyone that is comfortable in their own head, life on an island is extraordinary.