An Inconvenient Life

I was in the shower the other day and I was thinking about convenience.

See, sometimes Chris and I don't communicate very well, and much of that boils down to the fact that sometimes communicating well with the other person involves quite a lot of inconveniencing the other person...and this pride, or excessive politeness or whatever it is has led us to some marital doldrums.

But it did start me thinking...

Here's my theory, Life can be either Good or Convenient.  Seldom is it both.  And it works with all facets of life.  Food that is convenient--prepackaged, frozen, take-out, fast food, it's all convenient--it's fast, requires little thought and makes few dishes--but none of it is really good and neither is it good for you.  A convenient life has neither spouse nor children for all of them make life remarkably INconvenient.  Come to think of it, a convenient life has few friends and no family as well.  A convenient life would involve only leasing and never buying; on-line bill-pay, shopping and communication; copious amounts of television viewing and the microwave would be the most frequently used appliance in your kitchen.

I was thinking of the things that make life GOOD and here's my list:

• Family:  be it parents and siblings or husband and child, they make life sweet.  And no, they aren't particularly convenient, it all takes time and there are misunderstandings and miscommunication and a marriage takes a lot of time away from personal habits of time-suckage.  But when Family is Good it is very very good and very worth the inconvenience.
• Real Food:  I'm a big promoter of HOMEMADE.  Homemade bread, real dinners cooked on the STOVE with real ingredients, many times involving vegetables.  I also prefer organic stuff because it tastes like real food.  Are any of these things convenient?  Nope.  Ask an organic farmer.  It's hard work, it's smelly and messy work.  But the rewards are so very GOOD.
• Real Life:  Life is messy.  But it sure beats it's unreal cyber counterparts.  I'd rather have social awkwardness with 4 friends in real life than no awkwardness and 592 friends on Facebook.  I'd rather have a stammering and inelegant but REAL conversation than write an eloquent blog post.  (As I think you can probably tell by now...)
• WORK:  I know.  An incredibly unpopular subject right now.  But work is actually a GOOD thing.  As long as it's GOOD work.  And I think about the things that I classify as good work:  cloth diapering, knitting, homeschooling, sewing, church callings, study and service--they're ALL inconvenient, splendidly so!  But they're the kinds of work that make you feel GOOD while you're doing them--and ok, once they're done.

Life is Messy.  But it's a Glorious Mess and well worth the making.