Running Away from Home

floatplane taking off

 I ran away from home last night.  Not from an abusive environment inside the home.  Nor from threats within our immediate neighbourhood.  No earthquakes, tornadoes or hurricanes threatened either.  So what or who was I running away from?

Or rather, from what or who were both Mama and Papa Bear running away from?

Since we took each other with us, we weren't running away from each other.

icicles hanging off rock face en route

We were running away from a perceived, potentially explosive interpersonal situation.  One in which there could be only losers - no winners.

How did someone as gentle and caring as Papa Bear end up in this kind of situation?  Where running away appears to be the best answer?

 Did he do something wrong?  If so, what?

still waking up from the winter nap

barge plying Georgian Bay tied up at pier

remnants of snow on ground

 It all started innocently enough when several months ago, Papa Bear ended a stretch of unemployment with a new job.  Everything looked good.  At first.  For the first couple of days.  Until the new boss started calling him and his co-worker into the office threatening to fire them, berating them for things that were not in their control.  Refusing to pay for time worked.  The list could go on.

And then, out of the blue a job opportunity came up.  Suddenly.  Good news, right?  In a way.  But then the problem became, how does one extricate oneself from an abusive situation?  Does one do the honourable thing and give notice with the potential of being threatened, fired on the spot, abused for two more weeks, or ignored?

Papa Bear was so distressed, he couldn't sleep at night.  He had no peace.  Tormented, he wrestled with the problem.  Seeking an answer.

two men and their "canoe" hats

unadulterated peace and beauty

And so, last week, he decided the best option, the only option was to leave abruptly.  Unable to reach the boss either in person at the workplace or on the phone, he left all work-related items in the office with a message on the voice mail.

We packed hurriedly - and left, thus avoiding future confrontations either on the phone or at our house.  Only a few people know where we are.

Were we cowards?  Or did we do the right thing?  We will probably never know.

Yes, we will have to return home in a few days, but for the moment we're saturated in peace and beauty, rather than patching up emotional wounds.