Partners in Adventure

For the past few weeks, I've been scanning in all our family photos so that we can send the bulky albums back to storage. With the going price to rent a U-Haul trailer in our area of the world at $420, we're sending back or giving away everything but the "bare necessities, the simple bare necessities of life!" (To quote Baloo from the animated version of The Jungle Book.) While scanning in the photos, I've had time to reflect upon all the stories that we've accumulated since being together, and the ways that our individual stories intertwined to bring us to the point we are today. Through this project I have realized that we have many stories that no one else knows but the two of us, not because they are secret (though some are, of course), but because they are the stories between the ones that you repeat to friends and family. How do you begin to relate all the minor details that make a story special, that make it memorable? How many times have you heard someone say, "You just should have been there" or "This picture doesn't do it justice" or "I just can't explain how wonderful it was!"? We've all been in that situation when words, no matter how grand, simply cannot describe an experience. The best part of having a partner in adventure, however, is that they have been there, and they do know what you are talking about.

Over time, Ted and I have developed our own encyclopedia of memories and experiences, some trivial and some amazing. I can always say, "Remember when . . . " and he does, in perfect detail. We've lived the same stories, though we tell them and process them in different ways. We live one experience, but gather two perspectives. Traveling the country with Ted has been an experience I have treasured. We are both observers, we treasure the silent times, we agree on destinations, we seek the less traveled trails, we think deeply about the world around us, and we always remember to have fun. He is my perfect partner!

Scanning our photos and arranging our scrapbook has reminded me of the importance of trying to tell our story before we both get too old to remember the details. Trying to write our stories, however, has shown me the futility of conveying anything but the diffused essence of the memory. One story is related to countless others and requires a shared experience to fully understand all the nuances of the tale. Great authors try to create a sense of shared experience with the reader, but it is an effort that takes years and countless drafts. I can only imagine telling all of our stories in such minute detail! But, tis better to convey a whisper of the past, and let the mystery take hold of someone new, than to let all of our stories be whisked away into the dream fever of time. I am thankful that I have a venue to write about our adventures, and a partner who lives these adventures with me.
By: Rebecca
Photo By: Cruise ship passenger, Alaskan cruise, May of 2002