title: She Meanders
content: |

    <p>CO-Aunt meanders when she drives.  She also meanders when
    she answers questions.</p>

    <p>To be fair, I did ask her a very open question as we were
    <a href="http://www.questionable.org/gallery/tony_2005_rmnp">hiking 
    up to Ouzel Falls</a> in <a href="http://www.nps.gov/romo/">Rocky Mountain
    National Park:</a>  How did she end up so differently from my
    mother?</p>

    <p>It is beyond my capacity to reproduce the entire answer here.
    Even if I could, I wouldn't; much of the story is not suitable
    for sharing.  (Deep dark family secrets etc. etc. yadda yadda
    please don't ask.)  What I did learn is that my grandparents
    weren't perfect when raising their children.  The stories CO-Aunt
    tells me about her younger days now have more context.</p>

    <p>Takeaway from this vacation:</p>

    <ol>
        <li>
            <p>I understand this <em>meshugge</em> CO-Aunt much
            better now.</p>
        </li>
        <li>
            <p>Living by a clock is for pansies who can't handle
            the daily cycle of the sun.</p>
        </li>
        <li>
            <p>What is the difference between <em>need</em> and
            <em>want?</em>  Hint: any fool with a dictionary can
            fail this test.</p>
        </li>
        <li>
            <p>Papa knows the name of the dread disease which
            afflicts him, and where he will likely be spending his
            remaining days.</p>
        </li>
        <li>
            <p>The contents of my pockets are baggage, physical and
            spiritual.  In Latin, <em>impedimenta.</em>  (Not a
            coincidence, I'm sure.)  The less I have in my pockets,
            the better.</p>
        </li>
    </ol>

    <p><em>(edited and posted on 2005-07-22)</em></p>