The Nine Noble Virtues: a Modern Take - Perseverance

The Nine Noble Virtues are a modern invention, so it seems my title is redundant. However, little seems to have been done to bring the concepts themselves from the past into the present.

I do not consider the NNV to be a historical reference. I do consider them to be a modern way of understanding cultural and even subconscious values that were stressed, if not perfectly, by those peoples lumped together as Norsemen.

This series will explore my thoughts on these values and, hopefully, start conversations about them in a modern context.

Perseverance is a virtue that has come to mean a lot in the last year. The dictionary defines it as "continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition". The socio-political sphere has set up quite a few oppositions and difficulties for us, in general. But each of us faces our own set of complications in life.

Historically, perseverance had to do with survival in the elements. You kept moving in a blizzard. You kept fighting in a battle. You kept planting on the farm. You kept hunting for your family. No matter what nature and the world tried to do to you, you kept moving or you died.

These days, it's a bit more nuanced, at least in the US. You don't keep moving because you might die. You keep moving because you don't want your kids to be homeless. You don't want the cascading social effects of financial failure to ruin you.

In the past, if you wanted to move, you packed up and you literally moved (walked) to where you wanted to go. The laws against hitchhiking, homelessness, truancy (for minors), and more, plus the financial requirements of crossing borders, makes that much less of an option.

For Fun and Profit

We keep moving so we can enjoy life within the context of the social structure we live in. Yeah, there are cheat codes and work-arounds, but having a bit of cash makes a lot of things possible.

I have a few life mottos to keep me and my loved ones on the path of doin' stuff:

• "Never give up, never surrender!"
• "Just keep swimming..."
• "Honey Badgers, attack!" (My family is the Honey Badgers, particularly the kids. Hubby is Snorlax.)

Aside from the warm fuzzy feeling that these phrases give me, mostly in remembering the movies they are sourced from, they also reinforce this idea that we have to keep moving.

Keep Moving

For some reason, my husband seems more confused about adulting than I ever was. Specifically, about how frustrating it is to clean the house, do the laundry, catch up the dishes, pay the bills... and turn around to find you need to do it all again.

I frequently express sympathy for the kids, who I've just assigned chores to AGAIN, by saying "I know, it just never ends." I do this because it is true. The trash was taken out yesterday and needs taken out again tomorrow. That's just how that works. Four people wearing clothes and taking baths with towels - laundry always needs done. I make my epic meat sauce for spaghetti - pans and plates need cleaning.

And it isn't just that.

Keep Doing Better

We have to keep improving our situation, at least to a point. We want to be able to afford better quality, healthier food. We want to be able to travel for fun and business. We want the kids to be able to go to camps (and not stay home all summer to drive me nuts!). And we want to be able to afford medical bills and insurance, since both of us freelance our work, so insurance will have to be through us.

I keep a mental tally of the bumps and bruises and aches, prioritizing medical treatments like some kind of psychopathic triage. And I know I've had close to my limit of stress in doing this for the last 5 years. So I add my mental health to the list... at the bottom, of course.

The point is, doing okay is just that - okay. And that's just fine, but it isn't where we want to stay. We want to help the kids pay for college so they don't have the burden of 30 years of debt like we do. Maybe we can help them cut it down to 10 years.

Things Fall Apart

We hit our bumps. Hubby's gig ends a week sooner than expected. They don't direct deposit, so checks have to wait another three days. Things get pushed out and pushed back in anticipation of a break that falls through.

We've all had crap happen. It just does. Life isn't fair. Chores never stop. And, in our current social environment, we always need a certain amount of money, so we have to keep working.

That's just how that works. Give up or get it done. It's a marathon, not a sprint. That's perseverance.

Eat the Horse

Hubby is particularly fond of DBZA, and quotes this scene A LOT.

So if you lose your battle, get back up and eat that horse! At least all these quotes will keep you laughing while you persevere.