Real World [Adventure]

 [Adventure 9]

Recently, someone on social media told me that I need to step into the real world sometime, in reference to our choice to unschool our children, live a life of giving of our time and talents, and the choices we make based on my family members' various diagnoses. 

First, I laughed because someone on social media - which is far from the real world - told me that. And because unschooling is vastly more real world than a child sitting at school or in front of a computer for six hours a day, and then spending more time doing homework. And because in going beyond ourselves to serve others, we experience more "real" things than most people in our work with refugees; feeding people in need; and being involved in our church, theater, art, and LGBTQIA+ communities. And because living with chronic illnesses and differing abilities has taught us to celebrate what we can do and to learn to do things differently when needed.

I live in a world of real illness. My every move and every decision is based on how my body is doing at that given moment. Making the decision whether or not to get a vaccination is based on more than what I think of the vaccine or the efficacy of the vaccine or the newness of the vaccine. It has to do with my body's violent reaction to every vaccine I've ever received. And the fact that it has taken me three rounds of the hepatitis b vaccine as an adult for antibodies to be detectable in my bloodstream. It has to do with input from my rheumatologist, hepatologist, gastorenterologist, and endocrinologist. 

My family lives in an environment that includes neurodivergent people. Two of our children have Autism Spectrum Disorder (high functioning autism), and my husband most likely does as well. We also have family members who live with anxiety and depression. We have learned to operate slightly differently than most families. We tend to take others' needs and differences into consideration a bit more; live with a bit more grace for others.

Perhaps it's not that I don't live in the real world, perhaps it's that I see and interact with the world differently than you do. I see the world through the eyes of someone with mobility issues and chronic illness; through the eyes of someone who cares for LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent people; through the eyes of someone who worries less about things and more about people; and through a lens of faith and hope and love and kindness.

My real world is one of embracing and celebrating differences and knowing that tomorrow isn't promised; one of faith and love; one of mental and physical illness; one of laughter and grace; one of compassion and caring for others, even strangers. My real world may not be one of current cultural and societal norms, but that may make it just a little bit more real than yours.