we sing with one accord

This weekend at our family reunion we were doing some reflecting.

Normally for the Herd reunion we go camping in the semi-wilderness, with no shade, no grass, and no indoor plumbing. I was brought up this way, and have used many a fallen log as a makeshift toilet, and many a leaf of mullein or lamb's ear as toilet paper. We used to sleep in tents, even. Paleolithic! But nowadays everybody has trailers (except us, because: poor) and portable stoves, so it's really not even camping. We have become so coddled, in fact, that we complain about the amount of dirt at our usual reunions. But you have to understand: the dirt in question is that fine, soft, silty stuff that gets everywhere, and with which you become one on a molecular level.

So this year, when we got to spread out all over my aunt Lorraine's acre of backyard grass, was a marked improvement. I want to always have our reunions there. Everyone else agreed, except maybe my grandpa, who is embarrassed by how soft we are. We talked about how important it is to us to have nearby running water, and plumbing, and shade and grass. We are used to these things, and we don't care to go without them, even whilst camping.

This is the fault of the pioneers. If they hadn't sacrificed, and worked themselves raw trying to create a better world for their children, often dying in the effort, we'd be sweating and struggling in primitive conditions, and we'd probably be better people for it.

I just feel disappointed that they robbed me of my chance to be a good person.