We are

The Idealist

I am the descendant of pilgrims and pioneers, globetrotters and gadabouts. My people were the restless ones, setting out across oceans and landscapes without knowing what awaited them. We followed the ideal of asking forgiveness and hoping for the best. I see the possibilities in life, the options, the grand adventures. I’m always ready for a change of scenery. But I’m also the one that flits from job to job, adventure to adventure, not always successfully. I’m the one who in arguments asks, “Why? Why not? What if?”

The Realist

He is the descendants of pragmatists and planners, schoolmasters and shopkeepers. His people were the stable ones, following along to their well-established ethnic communities. They obeyed the rules and avoided uncertainty. He sees the problems, the lurking disasters, the reasoning behind the tried and true methods. He’s solid and logical, an ardent fan of routines. But he’s also the one who stays with companies a bit too long, preferring the devil he knows to the monster he doesn’t. He’s the one who in arguments says, “And if X happens, what will we do about Z?”

I push him to branch out and question the status quo. He reins me in and keeps us safe from obvious harm. We make a hell of a pair.

Our son lives in our hearts everywhere we go.