25 October 2016

Do You Live in the Best Place in the World?

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Two girls, a dog, and a mother. We’re strolling down the middle of the road under the midday sun, heading for the bush.

A few minutes later, dog by my side, I’m running over the red sandstone and under the tall gum trees. And as I run, I listen. Michael Hyatt is talking about the forces that can shape our character. He says something like this:

If we want to become good leaders, we have to work on our characters. We can’t pretend to be better than we are because eventually we’ll be found out. Then we’ll lose the confidence of everyone.

I think about how this relates to unschooling.

I’ve come to the conclusion that unschooling is just as much about the parent as it is about the child. Initially, we might decide to unschool because we feel it’s the best way to educate and bring up our kids. But we soon find out that unschooling changes us, the parents. It has to. If we don’t become the people we are meant to be, how can we pass on a good example to our kids? We need to develop our characters if we want to be good leaders for them.

Five kilometres later, I flop onto a picnic bench and slurp down some water from my bottle. I’m still listening. Michael Hyatt has gone. Darren Rowse has taken his place. He’s talking about how to write an opinion blog post.

Soon Imogen joins me on the bench, but Gemma-Rose is nowhere in sight. She’s still running along the main fire trail. As we wait for her to return, I feast on my surroundings. There are trees as far as I can see. Birds swoop across the clear blue sky. I listen, not to a podcast, but to the quiet which is only broken by treetop singing. There’s nobody here except for me, Imogen, Nora, and Gemma-Rose who is still somewhere in the bush. A cool breeze passes over my wet skin and I shiver. A delicious shiver. And I think, “I live in the best place in the world.”

READ  About Me, About Being Different

Then Gemma-Rose appears from between the trees. She’s panting. Her face is flushed. She turns her bottle upside down and gulps down mouthfuls of water as I say, “How far did you run? Really? Oh my, you must be tired!”

We’re all tired. And hungry. It’s time for lunch.

We walk slowly home, back down the middle of the deserted road, our feet dragging. My ear buds are draped around my neck. I’m swinging my empty water bottle.

And I’m thinking. Should I write an opinion blog post? Maybe I can write about how I live in the best place in the world… in my opinion.

Of course, when we write opinion pieces we have to be prepared for others to disagree with us. You might stop by and protest, “Sue, you’re wrong. I live in the best place in the world!” And I hope you do. Why? So that we can have an interesting debate as we try to convince each other of the merits of our homes? Others might join in and give their opinions. This could be a popular blog post. Opinion blog posts usually are. No, that’s not the reason I want you to disagree with me.

I want you to challenge my opinion because I want you to love your home as much as I love mine. I hope, when you feast your eyes on your surroundings, you experience what I feel when I look at my house nestled next to the beautiful Australian bush:

An intense feeling of gratitude pours from my heart. I think, “I’m so glad I live here. This is my home. This is where I belong.”

It’s a wonderful feeling.

 

 

You could come for a walk with me along the bush tracks close to my home.

And maybe you’d like to share some details of where you live. Is it the best place in the world?

Sue Elvis

I'm an Australian blogger, podcaster, and Youtuber. I write and speak about unschooling, parenting and family life. I'm also the author of the unschooling books 'Curious Unschoolers', 'Radical Unschool Love' and ‘The Unschool Challenge’. You'll find them on Amazon!

5 Comments

  1. I loved watching this beautiful video again :)! You really do live in an amazing place – what a blessing to be able to walk right into natural bushland! It's not the case where I live, in a suburb surrounded by suburbs. Still, I am SO thankful for a comfortable home in a comfortable neighborhood, and most of all for my precious family. It is where I belong, and I agree with you: it's a wonderful feeling!!

    • Nancy,

      I know you love the bush as much as I do. I suspect Lisa does too. But I was thinking maybe other people might not see its beauties in the same way as us. The red sandstone tracks might look only dry and dusty to someone else. And what about the scarred trees, blackened from bushfires and backburning? What if friends came to stay? They might look around and wonder what all the fuss is about. Yes, not everyone would appreciate the Aussie bush, unless of course the wattle is blooming. Who could fail to be impressed by their glorious splashes of gold? Oh, and the banksias too!

      I'm so glad you have a place where you feel you really belong. Maybe it doesn't matter where we live as long as we are surrounded by the people we love best. Wherever they are is the best place in the world!

  2. There is so much to loving where you live. I have a beautiful home, a great township, nice neighbours, and a spectacular view, yet I still don't think I live in the best place in the world. It's because I am often travelling great distances for kids activities which is kind of exhausting. Hoping to find a place soon that ticks all the boxes. 😉

    • Lisa,

      I'm sorry to hear you have to travel great distances. Yes, that must be very exhausting.

      We used to live 'in town'. Everything was on our doorstep. Now we live in one of the outer villages. It isn't that far from town, but it isn't the same as being in the centre of things. However, we do have the bush and the quiet so we'd rather live here. And fortunately for me, some of my kids learnt to drive. That makes a huge difference. Imogen shares the driving and often takes the girls into town for their activities instead of me. I'm grateful for that!

      I hope you find your perfect home! So good to chat. Thank you for stopping by!

  3. Everywhere you love is the best place in the world. Right now I can look through my window and see red apples waiting for us to pick them, I see blue skies and leaves dancing in the wind. Right now I live in at best place. Tomorrow, when it's raining or grey overcast all the short day long, I'll dream of your glorious outback.

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