A mobile society: part 1

I don’t like to move. As much as I love to organize, throw out stuff, pack, and set up house, I really, quite honestly, would prefer to stay in one place forever. Travel, by all means, but don’t move.

When my family moved eight miles from the country to the little town where I finished growing up (the only two places I lived before leaving for college), we were dubbed “new to town” and may still hold that title more than ten years later. Dating someone in high school would have seemed a bit too much like dating your siblings, having grown up with them (and waiting for the boys to grow up . . . still waiting). So you can tell I’m a bit out-of-touch with the incresingly mobile society we live in today.

Having wrestled with this (yup, you guessed it) conservatism on my part, trying to work up the enthusiasm to jump from home to college to grad school, anticipating at least one or two (or three? or four?) more moves before Sydney can start planting trees, I’ve finally decided a great deal of moving around simply comes at too high a cost. I’m putting out one opinion on the subject, hoping that you will respond with others.

. . .

I have certainly argued with someone particularly set in his ways and thought, “Man, you need to move to another part of the country and realize that life exists just fine elsewhere even though those people may not follow your rules about picking over eggs in the grocery store. It’s amazing that they survive, but trust me, they do!” I am perfectly happy to acknowledge that moving can help to shake up your “rules,” help you realize that much of life is shaped by your surroundings (also helpfully knocking off a bit of ego about your individuality and independence), and help you see that others live different elsewhere (and thus may be able to provide different perspectives that prove valuable to listen to, etc.). It’s a great way to defamiliarize and allow you to step back and reevalute what you consider “normal” or “best.”

It also helps you gain confidence: you, too, can tackle new challenges, master the pace of a completely different city (or country). I will always be grateful for the trips I took to NYC during college, because I am no longer cowed by subways or the myriad mystiques of city life. Thank you, New York City!

And, to be honest, different places offer different opportunities. You may happen to land in a place that doesn’t provide you with fresh produce, an active lifestyle, the perfect church, or the kind of friends you can wholeheartedly bind yourself to. Moving can help you fill gaps from the life you have been living even as it offers new ones of its own.

Alright, so moving certainly has its benefits. But what about its problems? More to come.

Erin