Evolution: Amy 2.0

Cute Cartoon Camper @ zazzle.com

Years ago, my husband insisted, "Someday I want to buy a camper and travel across the country." "Well," I told him, "...you'll have to do it with someone else because I have absolutely no interest in that." I put my foot down, as images of some Griswoldesque future version of us popped into my head imagining us traveling down old highways in a honkin', butt-ugly Winnebago (*insert mortified shudder here*). I'm not sure which one of us was more shocked when I pushed HaRD for us to buy our first camper last summer and hit the road. Ohhhhh how he rejoices in seeing me eat my words, and rightfully so, because I am not only on board with his long ago idea, there are days when I think we should sell everything we own, trade in the camper we have for a larger one, and head out for parts unknown (...let me tell ya, campers have come a really LONG way in twenty years; some even have washer/dryers!!!!). My change of heart has been a long time coming, and really the fire that sparked that was realizing the sheer magnitude of having this ONE life and living every second of it to the fullest.

When we're both stretched out by a campfire, we often laugh at my ridiculous prior aversion to even the idea of camping (...and to be fair, I'm still not a completely "roughin' it" kind of girl). He'll say with a really big grin on his face, "Took me almost thirty years, but I've finally brought you over to the dark side!" This is usually followed up with a wildly cartoonish eyebrow gesture that never ceases to crack me up! I think that man is really diggin' how lightened up his woman is becoming and the truth is, I'm lovin' it, myself. I don't think I even realized how tight a grip I had on being properly sedate, my little fists white-knuckling an ideal pounded into my head since I was old enough to walk. Now, I spit and swear (sometimes), ride motorcycles, get tattoos, and go camping! All of this is done in a perfectly Amy-ish, very civilized manner, of course, but I'm sure wherever she is, my Aunt Mattie is still shaking her head, thinking, "What in the world has that boy done to my chicky?"

Change is scary, no matter how old you are or how much life experience you've had and it is often my very first instinct to resist it with ferocity! What I have come to realize, however, is that most of the time, change is exactly what we need. Our lives are better for it when we don't allow them to stagnate in the same rut, on the same path, for an indeterminate amount of time until we die. And really, resistance to change is futile (...I know, that sounds terribly corny and cliche'). For me, I MUST continue to evolve into the best version of myself, even if I have to be dragged forward kicking and screaming (which HAS actually happened). Right now I'm at Amy version 2.0, but I'm only just getting started on this whole evolution thing. I can't wait to see where that takes me! And hopefully there will be less of that kicking and screaming nonsense.