Photo: Cindy Funk, Flickr Creative CommonsDespite that, I don't really hate where I live. Honestly, after two years I'd probably be anxious to leave behind any home I ever made. That's been my life trend anyway. The truth is this is where I grew up. This town and the surrounding area are a part of who I am. I guess that means I'm at least partially composed of gnats, mosquitoes, yellow flies, and rednecks, but it also means I'm partially made up of live oaks older than the United States, long leaf pine savannas, and old homesteads built off the ground to avoid the the swamps when heavy rains temporarily allow them to reclaim their historic territory. Oh, and one of the benefits of living in a place that was only tangentially affected by the Industrial Revolution is that the local watershed is so clean that the EPA doesn't care how much fish you eat out of our rivers and streams.
If I ever get around to writing the novel or screenplay that I know I'm too lazy and unmotivated to ever write, it will be set here. I've even got the general outline written out. The town would go by another name and all of the warts and moles would be there in the story, dark and sprouting strangely thick hairs, but it would be clear that deep down I really do love this place. In some strange way, I'm actually proud of where I live. I don't want to be here now, but I want to be from here.
10 comments:
What would it take to get you to do NaNoWriMo?
It's cool that you can appreciate your hometown for what it is, even though it's not your ideal place to live.
I remember when you and K first moved down there, you said you only planned to stay for a few years and then move back closer to ATL. Is that still the plan? We'd love to have you guys closer.
Hank: I'm considering it next November. I should have my masters classes finished by then and would have more time. Don't get your hopes up though. I'm horrible at following through with things that aren't being done for someone else.
Courtney: I have a tentative plan (even discussed it my wife) to move either the year before or the year after E's Kindergarten year to move somewhere less than an hour's drive from Asheville. If we moved before he starts Kindergarten, I'd have to find a job in a school on the Georgia border because I won't have been "vested" (whatever that means) in the Georgia schools and will basically lose 9 years of working toward retirement. If we wait one more year, then I'll be vested in Georgia and can basically receive a percentage of my retirement from Georgia and then receive the other percentage from whatever state I finish my career in. At least that's what I think my aunt said about the 10-year rule when I mentioned this plan to her.
Unfortunately, Asheville is a long freaking way from even the closest towns in GA. Luckily, both of my parents will be retired by the end of this school year so moving away won't be like ripping their grandkid from them, especially since my family loves the mountains.
Sounds like you've thought about the next move. Before I read your comments above, my own comment was going to be one word: Move. You like being from there, and you've already got that covered; they can't take that away from you. So get on with it (like I'm one to talk.)
That said, there's a lot to be said for water quality.
Yeah, it's entirely an economics thing right now. We're paying a price for child care that would anger most suburban soccer moms and we have free babysitting from multiple sources. I think my 15-year mortgage is less than your rent. Plus, I haven't done much to prepare for my retirement other than show up for work in a government job, so I don't want to do anything stupid and lose out on that.
When we move, the cost of living is going to increase, so we'll need to be in a position to drop some of our bigger expenses like day care.
Sounds like your inner nomad is itching to get out. Hopefully, he will be appeased by your well conceived planning.
Nomadism cured by good planning? Jeez, that's like saying, "Here, this dictionary will cure your being horny."
I didn't say cured. I am suggesting that perhaps the longing to move will be manageable since there is a end in sight to your waiting. So :(-
I have lived in Cape Town my entire life. I love the cultural heterogenity. I love that I don't stick out like a sore thumb. I love that we speak 11 different languages. I love that I'm surrounded on 3 sides my the ocean. I love that I can look outside my bedroom window and see the mountain. I love the weather (sometimes). I love that there's always something to do. Occassionally I imagine myself transplanted somewhere New York or a tiny town in Canada. I imagine what it must be like to walk up to snow. And it all seems glorious. I also know that it would never be a permanent move. I'll always return home.
I kind of know what you mean. I mean these small Southern towns have the whole Flannery O'Connor Southern gothic appeal. But, I don't think I could deal with the cultural void in the long run. That's why I got as far away as humanly possible.
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