To Infinity and Beyond

14 July, 2014

Danger Askins and his crew have been in the deepest reaches of outer space, fighting the dread school break fever. Emerging from his self-imposed slumber and languor, Danger is ready for the next challenge--Vacation to Italy and Beyond!

For all of June, we packed all our worldly belongings or gave them away to new-found friends, in preparation for a six week tour of Italy, Greece and Switzerland, after which we will be moving back to Hartsville, South Carolina, the town of my birth and seat of my ancestry.

Sadly this means the coming end of the Redneck's life in Europe. For now. Many people have asked us whether it was worth it to trade the known and comfortable existence we enjoyed for the decidedly unknown and discomfiting life in another country. My reply, and Susan's, has always been the same. Absolutely. The girls, too, have slowly come around to the reality that their journey to Hell and back left more than just some scorch marks on their souls. They have even started to see that La Alberca, Spain is actually a pretty nice place to live.

Katherine was invited to go swimming with some of her friends about a week before we left for vacation. When she arrived, she found her entire class waiting for her. Her friends had planned a going away party for Katherine. That's when it hit her. She later told me that I was breaking her heart for the second time in a year. The first was coming to Spain. The second would be leaving it. A few limbs broke off and all the leaves blew away in the year-long hurricane of emotions and anxiety. Her trunk will show some wear, perhaps a knot or two. However for all her sufferings over the past year, and there have been many, Katherine is blossoming into a beautiful young woman. When she looks back over her life, Katherine will see the stoutest parts of her trunk came at those moments when she faced the greatest adversity. Those rings will be close together and tightly wound, giving her the strength she will need to endure harsher storms. We are gently pruning her in preparation for bountiful harvests. The fruit will be all the sweeter.

Elizabeth is already seeing some benefits. Spain served as a cocoon out of which she was forced to emerge under her own power. As her wings unfold and dry out, she will be flying to places of her own choosing. Butterflies seem to have no pattern or path as they flit about, yet they always land at their destination. Her scope is focusing and her destination is becoming international, like a monarch. From this point forward, we will be giving less direct intervention and more guidance. She will be flying away soon, only three more years. We will be left to watch the wonderful display.