When I was a kid I used to love the insulation in our basement.  I think it’s because pretty much every kid under the age of 10 thinks that pink stuff is cotton candy.  One day I inquired my dad and was shocked to discover this wasn’t so. He explained that it kept the house warm and dry and so that when we were inside we didn’t feel the cold wind or snow from outside.  Insulation can be a great thing.  It keeps us warm and dry, comfortable after a long day out in the world.  I think that our houses sometimes can be a metaphor for how we live.  Unfortunately we suffer from a different form of insulation. The reality is many of us  spend time indoors, away from people. We avoid that outside it is cold and windy.  We forget that life isn’t always comfortable or safe.  What’s amazing though is when you step outside, you realize you’re not alone. That there are other people braving the wilderness with you.

A few months ago Gillian and I realized that we were living like this.  We go to the church, to do programs or services or activities, and then we’d retreat back to our warm and cozy house. We realized that we didn’t have a reason to see people, other then the ones we already knew.  So we decided that we needed a change. We’ve always lived in the suburbs and so we’re moving to an apartment about a block from King St. in Downtown.  We want to be surrounded by people, bumping into them on the street, and seeing them in coffee shops and book stores.  We want to live a little less insulated.

Do you think you’re a little insulated?