As I sat out on the deck this evening, I couldn't get over how incredibly peaceful and quiet my new living conditions are. With the exception of a few passing cars from time to time, there is absolutely zero noise pollution here. I remember being at the apartment in Lauderdale just a month ago and being overwhelmed by the constant noise of the city. Granted, I do miss the sound of kids playing on the playground, but I'm willing to live without that little luxury if it means I get to bask in the every day soundtrack of creation, complete with all its fluttering, chirping and skittering sounds around me.
Life in rural America is a beautiful blend of simplicity and inconvenience. We live one hundred yards from the church and another couple hundred yards to our nearest neighbors. We know our postmaster by name. People keep dropping off their produce for us to enjoy free of charge. It takes twenty minutes to get to the nearest grocery store, gas station or hospital. Some people let their dogs roam free. On any given night you're bound to see millions of stars overhead. It gets crazy dark around here, yet I can't seem to escape the one street lamp whenever I lay down to sleep every night. It's quiet, real quiet. The cell phone reception is awful. I see deer walk through our yard at least once a week. The closest town is Milan (pronounced MY-LAN), population 369. Technically we live in Hagen, which consists of approximately six houses including the parsonage. There is no sign for Hagen, but is named after one of the men who first settled this chunk of land. On the other side of us sits Big Bend City, a town of approximately twenty houses. The sign for Big Bend City is shaped like a Christmas tree. People only offer directions in East, West, North and South. Corn, soybeans and beets everywhere you look. Yeah, I love it here.
I take Mondays off. I've spent the last three Mondays at the parsonage (the name given to the home of the Pastor) unpacking with Rebecca, playing with Natalie, cleaning, running errands, napping and reading. But with Rebecca and Natalie out of town, I decided to go exploring in nearby Montevideo, population 3,000. While I consider myself technically a "local" now, I feel far from it. For instance, a local would know how to get to the park on the other side of Highway 7 which runs through town. Rebecca and I have long since wondered how to get to this place. Today was the day I discovered the secret entrance. No helpful signage would get me there, just pure trial and error. Lagoon Park is nothing special, but does offer camping and disc golf to those clever enough to think to go under Highway 7. The real treasure I unearthed were the nature trails of Wildwood Park located north of Lagoon Park, which reveal themselves to explorers like me. I think I'm going to get a lot of running, walking and praying accomplished on these trails for years to come.
I think the challenge of living out here won't be whether or not I can adjust to the rural lifestyle but whether I can manage the temptations of modernity which continually beckon for my attention. We have cable TV for the first time in our marriage. High speed internet, a dishwasher and air conditioning are all welcome amenities but can also lead to over-use and abuse. I started a book today and am easily half way through it already. In addition to the errands accomplished this morning, I also got a fair amount of chores done around the house. Productive as I've been, I've also wasted a ridiculous amount of time watching television over the past two days. I got sucked into re-runs of 30 Rock, Cheers and Friends. I watched the Twins, the little league World Series and some random NFL show where four analysts yell at each other. I watched a show about ghosts, a portion of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and the Weather Channel. But I really got hooked on the Animal Planet and couldn't take my eyes off an extreme fishing show, a show devoted to alligator handlers who call themselves "gatorboys" and this show about a backwoods pest control wildman called the "turtle man," who captures snapping turtles, snakes and raccoons.
Cable TV confession aside, I am truly loving my time here thus far. I can be often heard telling Rebecca and my parishioners "I love my job" - and its true. I really am proud to be a rural Reverend and extremely excited to have been called here to join in the ministry of Big Bend Lutheran. The Spirit is alive and well in this small, hospitable and adventurous community and I am eager to see how God works through us in the coming months and years.
