Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Where is Home?

Hubs and I took the fam home for the Easter holiday. And then we came home yesterday. Which begs the question: Where is home? There is this draw we both have to move home. Which is funny considering we've lived in this house nearly as long as I ever lived in our hometown. And we've been in town here for twice that. Almost every time we go home there is at least one conversation about whether we should try to move back. And if so, how on earth to accomplish it?

Try finding a way to make a digital signage company successful in a Mennonite farming community. Barring that, how do you make a living? (Considering we are neither Mennonite (though we'd probably convert back) nor farmers (though Hubs could probably get a job on a farm because he worked one growing up(but they don't pay very well.)))

Here is the pro and con list. I'll let you determine which are the pros and which are the cons.

I'd trade midnight shopping for stores that close when the bank does.
I'd trade superstores for ten (decently stocked) aisles.
I'd trade a sister for a sister-in-law.
I'd trade annonimity for knowing nearly everyone.
I'd trade no grandparents for two full sets.
I'd trade exorbitantly priced babysitters for grandparents.
I'd trade three minutes to shopping for an hour drive.
I'd trade private school tuition for public school with Christian teachers.
I'd trade the ability to home school for offending people if I chose to.
I'd trade keeping the kids in the backyard for sending them out to bike around town.
I'd trade Starbucks for...okay, they have a tea shop or something fancy like that.
I'd trade a twenty friends for none. (I said I knew everyone, I didn't say they liked me.)
I'd trade people who know me now for people who knew me then...and I"m not sure they've forgiven me yet.
I'd trade small group on Friday nights for high school basketball games.
I'd trade "upper-lower class" for "lower-upper class" (assuming Hubs could find a way to maintain his salary).
Hubs would trade "self-made man" for "his father's son."
We'd trade neighborhood witness for neighbors who sit by us at church.
We'd trade Charismata for Mennonite.
We'd trade little family that we see rarely for lotta family we see lots.
We'd trade Sunday dinners of six for Sunday dinners of twelve.

I could go on and on. I don't know why we keep talking about it. It isn't as if there is a clear road to follow. No real potential method to go, anyway. And yet, talk we do. That family draw is a big one.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Go for it.

Julie Carobini said...

Your list reads like one of those novels that send you one way one minute, and another way the next. Still, it's so great to be near family...

Unknown said...

We went round and round about this same decision the last year of college. We decided to move "home".

Now - we deal with fights over who to spend the holidays with - or run from house to house every holiday.

Now - we are the first ones called to help shuttle people to doctor appts, change flat tires, etc. (not that we would never help, mind you?)

Now - we have great friends and a church family that feels like family.

We continue to talk about moving away from "home".....

What do you do when the grass is always greener.....

Gwyn

Carrie said...

so you'd go back to being a mennonite?? :)

Chaos-Jamie said...

Probably Carrie, there isn't much else to choose from. Though it isn't as weird as it might sound. The type of Mennonite we'd go, they still drive normal cars and don't wear head coverings. It isn't like I'd have to give up electricity. ;P

Anonymous said...

I prefer sister to sister-in-law, but I'm admittedly biased.

Melanie-Pearl said...

awww...grandparents are one of the best reasons to get/stay close to home.

kids' school and social friends are the best reason to pick a neighborhood/community.

i think that money is never a reason to do/not do anything.

i like your thoughts here. i think it's just a good thing to keep the dialogue open. sometimes i wonder if staying in Wichita has been the best thing/is the best thing to do with our "one life to live"---i always come back to the the reasons i mentioned above.