Thursday, October 22, 2009

An Observation

I've lived in four different states. Massachusetts for more than 30 years, then New Mexico for 10 years, South Carolina for 4 1/2 years and Oklahoma for just over a year and a half. Here are some words and thoughts to describe each area. So, here's the good and the bad.

Gloucester, MA
fishing industry, freezing cold winters, mild summers, steeped in the Portuguese and Italian culture, many people seem to be very materialistic perhaps even snobbish, house prices are outrageous, lots of great beaches and wooded areas for walking, tourist town, great downtown area to walk in but at that time many were closing down, no mall, no major shopping areas, great park for kids, really no need for AC in the summer since unbearably hot days are very few, many hurricanes and blizzards, boats lost at sea, some family is still there but nobody that I'm close to.

Rio Rancho, NM
smallish uncluttered city at the time we moved there, very fast growing developments going up everywhere, now it's overcrowded with a shopping mall on every corner, gorgeous mountain scenery, red cliffs, ancient ruins, awesome parks, mild winters, very hot summers, sandy soil but good for gardening, was surprised when I first moved here at how friendly people were, couldn't believe that they took your shopping cart out to your car and unloaded your groceries, native American culture as well as Hispanic, southwest decor sold to the tourists, mesas with cactus growing everywhere, large expanses of desert eaten up by housing developments, not enough rain, beautiful spiritual place, near Unity Church which I loved, but NM no longer feels like home.

York, South Carolina
hickville USA. confederate flags painted on house and garages, small city, no shopping areas, few places to work, few areas of interest to visit, lots of trees, hot sweltering summers, mildish winters, hard to understand accents, most people friendly, lots of people who seem to have come from an inbred family (strange but true), rednecks, lots of Muslims, too much drinking and drugs in Russell's family there, I felt no sense of peace there and would never go back

Where I live now in Oklahoma
Oil industry, small city, friendly down to earth people, a far drive to the city for shopping, land of tornadoes cornfields and cows, wind most of the time, very rainy seasons (spring and fall) low cost of living, affordable housing, several colleges, too many people on welfare and food stamps, poor people....may be due to the economy, abundance of farmers and oil rig workers, diversified cultures, Mennonite families, low crime rate, Not New Agey (is that a word?) enough for me, tobacco chewing people, pretty good place to raise kids if you like that small town feel.

I am thinking to myself after I write this.....does any place ever feel like home? Maybe I am a restless spirit but I feel like the only really home that any of us ever will have is from the place where we originated and what I like to call The Other Side. Do you ever get this feeling inside almost like homesickness but you don't know what it means cause you are *home*? Do you think that when you are back there and if you have the choice that you will choose to live another life on this Earth? I'm pretty sure my answer would be no. With all the many different lifetime memories I have I think I've experienced everything I need to.

4 comments:

  1. The place you are now sounds sort of simular to the town I live on the outskirts of... If you swap the tornados for extra rain. ;)

    Wales is my home. The only time I've ever felt homesick is when I've been away from the shadow of the black mountains. I'm a Welsh valley girl, and... You know what they say... You can take the girl out of the valley, but you can't take the valley out of the girl! I've moved away from here a couple of times. But I can't stay away. I've always been in a hurry to return, and I know I can never stay away. As long as this life goes on, Wales will be my home! I may feel differently in another life. But in this one... I'm home!

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  2. Hi Barbara,

    Great post as always. I have always felt out of step with the South.... as you said, too inbred! I am looking forward to heading West once school is finished next year in December. Thought about you today... hit the Walmart and was wondering if you were working!

    Jane

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  3. I can completely relate to your feeling, Barb - because this Earth is NOT our home! Its just a cheap motel off a remote stretch of the galactic freeway.

    But seriously, I completely agree, we were born from God, we live in the world of spirit. We only come here to help others, test our abilities, and as the Gnostics say, render services to nature. Its all part of the plan, but geez that homesick feeling makes it hard at times!

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  4. I must be weird. I feel like a turtle. I carry my home with me wherever I go. I do think I would really miss the Midwest if I moved away from the region because I love the land up here--prairie, woods, rivers, lakes, fields...ahhh! On the other hand--it has always felt temporary to me here on earth.

    Would I come back? In a heartbeat!!! Even tho I have had times so emotionally painful I thought I would not live thru them--been beaten and raped--grew up feeling unloved, unsupported, and alone--temporarily homeless--lied to and deceived--and currently live with physical pain 24/7--I love it all! This is such a planet of extremes and opposites. Without the dark you cannot see the light. To me that is the gift of the earth--our freedom to choose dark or light. That is the challenge of the earth--living thru the darkness and still being able to see the light--or sometimes just to still believe in the light when you can't even see it anymore. If I was ever told I didn't have to come back anymore--or I couldn't, heaven forbid--I'd beg to be a guardian or a guide to help others down here thru the great beauty and joy--and the unbelievable ugliness and cruelty.

    Yup! Weird? Maybe. Just writing this made my heart fill up so much it came out my eyes! I love this chaotic place! :):)

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