I’m a road-trip kinda gal, but a few days ago Jesse asked if I wanted to fly to Boston with him. I was packed and ready to go faster than you can say Beantown. Though I had only been there once, briefly, ten years ago, I love Boston; plus I was eager to spend some time alone with my man.
It was a quick trip — we only had one full day in Boston. Jesse had to work and I was there to research The Quarter Millennial Experience which is a play I am writing. The QMX takes place on a commuter train in Boston so I visited places that would be familiar to the characters: the Freedom Trail, a train station, the North End (Boston’s Little Italy), the Holocaust Memorial, the Irish Famine Memorial, Chinatown and two museums. I spent a grand total of $15 — the price of museum admission.
While I walked around Boston and people-watched, Jesse had a site visit for a multimillion dollar show he will be working on next month. His work-day cost several thousands of dollars. When we met back at the hotel that afternoon, he said the information gathered at the site visit could have taken place over Zoom and a couple emails.
The difference in the way we “spent” our days is representative of how my husband and I spend our lives. He’s a spender; I’m not. He’s strategic and corporate; I’m artistic and have a short attention span. He’s the best at what he professionally does — always in demand. I’m…dispensable. After twenty years of marriage, we’ve given up trying to change each other, but we haven’t given up on each other.
It’s a simple thing to love someone and be loved back so sustaining our marriage is somewhat brainless for us. No one has ever tried to break us up and we both have an “us versus them” mentality about society. No way in hell are we going to let society win. Besides, marriage is a place to be fully human with another person. Where else can you say that is true?
I have to finish my chores, which includes weeding the vegetable garden, watering the plants with rain water I collected from the last storm, stirring the compost, and scrubbing the floors with hot earth-friendly soapy water. And I need to work on my play. While I do that, Jesse will be invoicing and working on estimates. When we’re done with our respective tasks, we’re headed to a nearby nature preserve for a hike which is something sustainable we always enjoy doing together no matter how different we are.
Thanks for reading! -Connie
P.S. I took the featured photo about a week ago at the forest preserve we will be visiting later today. The prairie is really coming to life and will be even more beautiful and colorful now through July. Here’s how to RSVP for a free public hike at that preserve.
Constance Kuntz 