Postcards from Claremont – 9 – The Joys and Challenges of Bi-coastal Living (Bruce Epperly)
Living on two coasts can make for an interesting life. It's three time zones and thousands of miles. Air travel isn't as quick and painless as it was before 9-11. But, Bruce Epperly has been living bi-coastally this fall as he teaches at Claremont. In today's post he shares his experiences of living in this way, inviting us to join him on the journey.
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Postcards from Claremont
– 9 –
The Joys and Challenges of Bi-coastal Living
Bruce G. Epperly
A few
minutes ago, as I was getting my midmorning coffee at Claremont School of
Theology’s Edgar Center, one of the students asked, “What are you doing this
weekend?” I had to think twice. You see, my life is a boomerang as I travel
between two coasts this fall. Nearly
every other weekend, I’m asked to preach or lead a retreat in Southern
California. The other weekend, I’m off
to the East Coast, sometimes via a stop in the middle where I give a talk or
retreat. I must say that the rhythm is
dynamic and varied as I go from my scholar’s life in Claremont to domestic joy
in Washington DC every fourteen days or so.
Whitehead speaks of the need to balance order and novelty in personal
and corporate life, and I’m living that life, although order is usually sacrificed
for the novelties of bicoastal living.
At
Claremont, I’m a scholar-teacher, serving as Visiting Professor of Process
Studies for two of the most exciting academic institutions in the country. I spend my days studying for classes,
teaching, and working on writing projects.
I begin most days walking to the Claremont village before sunrise in
quest of my morning Starbucks coffee and artisan bacon-gouda-egg sandwich. I rejoice in the coming day and the joy of a
quiet read in the Starbucks patio. From
then on, I rotate between reading, teaching, writing, walking, and enjoying the
company of students. One of the joys of
living on campus is getting to know the students and that has been a
blessing. I take walks, get coffee (lots
of it), and occasionally eat a meal with my Claremont students. I have an opportunity to get to know them in
a personal way as I hear about their dreams, projects, and personal and
academic interests. That’s the way
teaching should be, a rhythm of classroom and informal conversation.
At
Claremont, I am truly a peripatetic theologian: living without a car, I rejoice
in walking everywhere, averaging six miles most days and feasting my eyes on
the beauties of the village as all sorts of thoughts and ideas are birthed on
tree-lined boulevards.
Here at
Claremont, it’s early to bed and early to rise, and I mean early to rise. My body and psyche are uncertain about what
coast I’m on and behave accordingly. In
DC my typical day begins at 5:00 a.m. but here most days my eyes open well before
4:00 a.m. On teaching days, I have to
pace myself so I still have energy and insight until 9:00 p.m. It’s a good life, somewhat monastic, but full
and joyful, despite the fact I miss the loving chaos of marriage, parenting,
and grandparenting.
Every
other week, I board a Thursday afternoon flight to DC or somewhere on the
way. DC is filled with family – the joys
of catching up with my wife Kate and the “boys” – my son and toddler and infant
grandsons. It’s all play and outings,
almost always with my toddler grandson with whom I study trucks (especially
excavators, cranes, bulldozers, and garbage trucks). We’ve been known to follow
a garbage truck several blocks on its morning collection. We spend time at parks and in search of
fountains (aka waterfalls). I am
domestic guy, bonded to my family, so what a delight it is simply to sit beside
Kate at the indie movie theatre, a light supper, or at home watching the PBS
Mystery. Of course, my son and
daughter-in-law, and mother-in-law (who shares our high rise apartment) make
the weekend complete. It is a wonderful
life and I am grateful for my marriage and family and the love that fills our
home.
There
are sacrifices to bi-coastal living. I
miss hearth and home and the simple pleasures of domestic life and my body is
never one place long enough to get a true rhythm. But, I wouldn’t miss these days at Claremont
for anything. I am in process paradise
and what a wondrous gift that is. This
is a truly holy adventure, enjoying for one semester the best of all worlds – a
loving family on one coast and an exhilarating academic life on the other. Yes, life is about that dynamic balance of
order and novelty, and the surprising novelties that emerge along a holy
bi-coastal adventure.
Bruce Epperly is a theologian, spiritual guide, pastor, and author of twenty two books, including Process Theology: A Guide to the Perplexed, Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living, Philippians: An Interactive Bible Study, and The Center is Everywhere: Celtic Spirituality for the Postmodern Age. His most recent text is Emerging Process: Adventurous Theology for a Missional Church. He also writes regularly for the Process and Faith Lectionary and Patheos.com. He is currently serving as Visiting Professor of Process Studies at Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Lincoln University. He may be reached at drbruceepperly@aol.com for lectures, workshops, and retreats.
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