Easy, Big Guy

We drove up the snowy, winding road towards the cozy A-frame cabin. It was absolutely perfect and exactly what we would need to finally disconnect from the world and unwind.

My wife and I have been a bit argumentative and at each other in a way that makes one believe that separation would not be far behind if we continued this way. My wife is a hard-working government employee with more responsibilities and bureaucratic red tape than you can shake a stick at. She spends all her time communicating with at least twenty different departments that have difficulties communicating with each other. She is the glue that binds them all. When she gets home, she doesn't really land there, she's still going until about midnight and we both order out each night. This past week, it got to be too much when I realized that we hadn't spoken more than three words to one another after we both were physically at home.

Myself, I run a couple of companies. Sounds like a lot of money but the reality is that if I don't run full speed all the time on both fronts, one financial dip on one company could take down both businesses forcing me into bankruptcy. I spend my days and nights keeping an eye on everything from operations to staffing and public visibility. I have consistent communication with every aspect of both businesses. I inadvertently opened myself to being contacted by almost all the staff in the name of an open-door policy and transparency. Needless to say, I was just as busy as my wife and didn't make room for real life. I traded my own happiness for a small sum of money. Dumb as a doornail.

Upon arriving at the cabin, we both immediately noted that there were no signs of anyone else in the area and that the caretakers must have done all the prep before the last snowfall. Everything looked pristine and new. The snow was only disturbed by the tires of our rental car and of our footsteps. How refreshing. Everything was just as described in our agreement for the rental and no hiccups in the least. The kitchen, the living room, the fireplace, the bedroom, and the beds were all absolutely delightful. There was even a low-calorie wine as I had requested since I was trying to watch my health. The sheets even smelled like our detergent from home.

I think that even though it was my idea, initially, to come out here and to disconnect, I was the one obviously having a much more difficult time letting go. As soon as my wife and I could rekindle our disconnected romantic life, we did. Surprisingly, it was probably the happiest I'd been in a while. I know, seems too simple to be true. But it was actually true and I'd found more reasons to love her than ever before. We both fell asleep near the fireplace and were in the most comfortable of "creature comfort zones."

I found myself awake at around 2:30 am and couldn't help but to take a walk around the cabin while my wife slept. Soon after, I reached into my coat pocket, looking for my mobile phone. Not there, huh? I'd completely forgotten that I locked up the phones and tablets in the lockbox of the car. Now all I could think of was what to do now that I'm not using the phone. I started hearing the sound of the silence that surrounded me. A strange sensation to say the least. I couldn't remember the last time I heard nothing at all. I actually began to hear the white noise my mind created to fill the space. I felt myself getting anxious. I went to the front window and started to stare at the car, specifically, the trunk of the car, and contemplated braving the snow and retrieving my phone. I thought of it heavily and thought further that I wouldn't forgive myself for doing so.

Suddenly the silence was broken, I could barely recognize the sound but I could tell it was coming from somewhere outside the cabin. The sound got louder and I could finally identify it as something moving in the snow. Not a crunch as would be if a human was moving about but a lighter sound. There it is, just beyond the cabin were two large deer. Moving about and nibbling at the brush not covered by snow, or just sniffing at it. The sight seemed to bring about calm in my mind. I no longer sought to retrieve my phone. I only stared at the deer and was as attentive as a young child. I watched them long enough that I felt sleepy once again and then I returned to my wife's side in the comfy bed. I felt at peace.

The next morning, I was still at peace. My wife seemed to have acclimated quickly and I saw something I hadn't seen in a long while, a smile upon her beautiful face. I prepared breakfast even though I hadn't cooked for my wife in what must have been years. It was at least palatable but she made no complaints. I love her and she knows it.

The next day, we took a nature walk and it was incredibly what I imagined heaven must be like. I felt like the snow were clouds and I didn't really feel the cold.

A day before our time at the cabin was to end, my overactive brain thought of all I had experienced and wondered why wasn't everyone doing this. This is far more important than anything my wife and I had been doing for the past several years. I sat and concocted a plan to share this with the world and came up with a marketing plan that was sure to enrich lives as well as fulfilling our financial needs. No more going crazy over late-night meetings and dealing with human resource issues that bring emotion and pain into the workplace. I had discovered the solution to long life and to removing the stress from our lives. Soon we'd be doing this every day. Ureka!

It then occurred to me that I was now sullying the very paradise I had grown to appreciate so much. I realized that I was using the same debilitating techniques to mechanize the beauty of nature. I couldn't do this. If too many people were even here, it would become more like the city we had escaped from. I would not become the snake offering the apple to Adam and Eve. I sank down suddenly and thought, that was a close one. Easy, big guy. Enjoy the moment in front of you. Love the woman you know and appreciate the world you live in. Time to schedule our next air bnb trip.