On the way in from the airport on Friday night, I was musing on how much I love it out here sometimes. It is just so odd, although I doubt whether the local folks would see it that way, or would be especially pleased by me calling it that. I suspect that they would just call it life, and that they might call me a choice thing or two as well. But it is nothing much like anything that I have done with my life before. It is very unique as far as I am concerned.
I had just taken a five-minute flight over the river, hopped into a cab in one of the most taxi-ridden places on the North American continent, and was winding along the only paved stretch of road in the city of Bethel. As I have suggested before, Bethel is not an especially beautiful place by any conventional standard. It has been described in fairly unflattering terms by some people, in fact. But, as my wife put it, it just kind of grows on you.
It is a very busy place, in many ways. Things are always going on-planes flying in and out, taxis moving in a constant cycle throughout the streets, people coming in and out to take care of their business, their health, or their work. When I go there, I see a lot of people working a lot of the time. Maybe it is the nature of the purpose of my visits there in the first place. Maybe it is just a working, practical town. Maybe that is what I like about it.
On the other hand, life out here is insanely expensive, inconvenient, and annoying. My presence in Bethel meant that it would be mandatory for me to take a trip to the store. Not my kind of trip, which is quick and convenient. Oh, no-more like a long and belabored trip involving what the scale at Yute aviation informed me was 767 pounds of mostly sugared beverages, frozen pizzas, and frozen soft pretzels for the concession stand at the school. Jesus, what a mess. Try and consider what moving that kind of mountain of goods involves. Fortunately for a 56 year old with a history of back and hernia surgeries, there were many helping hands. Nonetheless, there was plenty of lifting and carrying for everyone. I got to do a lot of it while juggling a backpack, a messenger bag, and five dozen eggs. What a pain in the ass.
But of course it is not only necessary but mandatory, because we have exhausted our store of that kind of thing, and this is the only way to get the job done. One more time-what a pain in the ass. That is the part of life out here that I absolutely cannot stand. It just drives me nuts to always be weighed down with a lot of crap that constantly must be maneuvered and moved. I hate it. Of course, my lovely spouse points out to me every time that I bitch about it that there is no other way, and that this is how it must be. No matter how I twist and turn, I am trapped and only end up getting pissed off and angry and then apologizing because I, too, know that there is no escape from this slavery, ever, and that is what I have consigned myself to in this near outpost to the epicenter of hell.
Love-hate-get it??
Darling, I do so appreciate you getting all of the stuff. I know it's tricky but just think about how much easier it will be in about a month when the river freezes. Of course we wouldn't have to wait if we got a boat. (hint, hint, hint)
ReplyDelete