People in the Midwest work hard and display generous doses of common sense, most of the time or at least when I grew up there. My grandpa identified strongly with those traits. He spent his career in one place, lived in the same house from the time he married until he died. Grandpa lived well–he even took in folks during the depression–but he also saved money and live a life focused on the Christian virtues. My Grandpa, a Midwestern icon.
I grew up in more boisterous times. We questioned everything and expected to change the world. We threw out the rule book and took risks. Still, Midwestern prudence yanked at my nonconformist streak, and I spent decades caught between them in a constant tug of war.
Not long ago, the dueling stopped. A compromise thanks to some hard-earned common sense that tempered the free spirit. I did not plan the cease-fire; rather, over time wisdom and common sense left their mark.Prudence and spontaneity holding hands, finding a way to coexist.
As I journey, I find people who have the opposite problem: after spending their life as a perfectly responsible citizen and family member, saving every possible cent, making wise decisions, they can not break free.Yet, this is the great opportunity of aging, to root out the dueling sides of our personality and live in peace. I wish that I had understood balance at a younger age.
