I feel deeply stirred tonight recalling my grandfather, Henry, being aware I carry his legacy. I was thinking about him earlier this week, he was at the top of his profession when he quit public life around 50 years old. It’s easy for me to understand why he’d do this. My grandfather had little interest in material possession outside of things that were useful, like tools. I stated in one of his letters, he had a “nervous disposition” and I imagine the politics to the university weren’t to his liking.
Some years ago, Annalisa said I would end up like him which was a horror to me at the time, mostly because, Henry was single. Do you think I want to be single? NOOOOOOOOOOO!
In whatever case, Henry dropped out of life at about 50 years old so that he could focus on his spiritual studies and development as he felt this was the most important thing in life and the most valuable.
I can understand this as well… I am clearly his granddaughter and I was thinking tonight that, Henry was 68 years old when he built his last house.
By then, he’d built many houses for other.. adobe house (mud houses for people who don’t know that word) but this was to be his house, so he built it his way.
I didn’t realize at the time how strange his house was as it was normal to me. I only found out it was strange after he died and I tried to sell it. I was 21 years old, dumb as a post when I called a real estate agent.
“How many bedrooms does the house have?” he asked.
“None.”
“None?”
“No,” I said. My grandfather slept in the front yard, nine months a year and in what he called, “the front room”, which you’d call the “living room” the rest of the year.
“How many bathrooms does the house have?’
“Three.”
“No bedrooms and three bathrooms?”
“Yes…”
I couldn’t sell that house, you might have guessed. I rented it instead but in whatever case, Henry built himself a house, exactly the way he wanted when he was 68 and 69 years old. He thought he would live to be 100… I thought he would too but instead, sadly, he died at 83.
It occurred to me tonight, for the first time ever, my grandfather only got to live in his house for 13 years. It’s not very long is it?
Anyway, I think I will follow in my grandfather’s footsteps and drop out of life too, eventually. I am well suited for a life in desert with a garden and a twice monthly trip to town.
Sometimes I think I will drop out of life too someday, but who the hell knows? I am 25.
Elsa I just love your Henry stories. I can see why you miss him at times. I wish I could have known him – I’d have helped him build his adobe house just so I could learn how to do it! That fireplace looks awesome.
As re: dropping out of life – I have done that myself. Now life is dropping back in, a little at a time and picking up momentum. Thought I was done with the outside world, looks like I’ve still got something to do out there. Then I’ll drop out again because now I know I can do it.
I grew up out in the country too, no running water or electricity most of my childhood. Chopped wood, hauled water, had big gardens, washed clothes the old fashioned way. It’s not so bad, lots of work, but good and healthy just the same. I could do it again, but I think I’ll need someone to chop the wood for me! Better find me a man before I drop out again! hahaha
You can really feel the connection you had with Henry, it’s very nice, almost palpable. Thank you so much for sharing :o).
LOL, I was thinking 13 yrs sounded nice, especially in a house you got to design. But then I was thinking maybe it wouldn’t be so nice, to have to stay in one place so long (uranus in the 4th probably). We’ve spent the last 2 1/2 yrs here, and it’s the longest we’ve stayed put (mostly due to military moves). It’s ok, but we’re all hoping to move this year :o),
Angie
I am not seen to be like him but I *am* like him. It’s very hard to see. My husband can’t see it either. I can tell him but he just doesn’t understand a word I say. “Hog looking at a wristwatch,” as he likes to say.
“mostly because, Henry was single. Do you think I want to be single? NOOOOOOOOOOO!”
Hee!
I love hearing about Henry. Love.
I’m told I’m like an old man I’m related to…the other day he said to me “I remember riding my bike into the worst head wind imaginable..I battled it and battled it and finally turned around and went the opposite direction because I wasn’t going anywhere in particular anyway.” Sagittarius ASC with Uranus/Sun, I could relate!
@Elsa:) There was a time when I dreamed of this. I was thinking a nice little cabin in the north woods of Wisconsin. Grow my own veggies and do a lot of fishing for food. And I seriously wanted to live alone.
I’m at an age where I realize that I no longer have the physical stamina for that kind of life and I also have lost the desire to “retreat” from the world. Guess I’ve changed a bit.
Henry sounds so cool. It’s a wonderful thing to have an older person who has such an impact on your life that it’s like they are always with you.
I am very blessed to have had someone like that in my life and even though she is gone from this life, she is always close to me. Truly, I am who I am because of her.
This story resonates with me. I contemplate dropping out of life like that.
The word Legacy comes to mind. The older I get the more “dropping out” seems do-able for me,lol. This topic has been running through my mind for a few days. My numerology tells me that when I get older I will become more of a hermit,lol. We shall see….
Blssings !!!
Love to Henry, where ever he is. (((Henry & E)))
Personally, I see it this way: maybe he only got to live in his house for 13 years, but those were 13 years that he did exactly as he wished with exactly what he wanted. He got his desire, for a while, and that’s all we can ask for in this life. *smiles* It never lasts, anyway…
Basically I’m just biding my time until I can hole up and raise chickens somewhere. I’m 25 and I work in the service industry haha, the sooner the better.
Dropping out is great – I’ve done it a couple of times but always had to get back into the swim of things – I hadn’t achieved enough (or anything, rather) at that point.
Living that isolated rural life is easier mentally when you are older, but physically when you are younger. An yes it’s a while lot easier for a man, or if you have a man around! Firewood is heavy stuff and hard to saw…
Elsa, what a blessing to have Henry in your life, and what a gift to carry on the legacy he started.
I love the Henry stories.
from what i know of your stories, it makes sense to me.
don’t know his chart, but i think it might be a neptune angle/aspect thing, to have a need to disappear from the world. with me, at least, i need to dissolve so i can recollect myself, periodically. otherwise i carry too much of everyone else’s stuff.