Not too long ago I let the cat out of the bag and revealed our plan to move to Dallas. I gave few details because they were tentative and sketchy back then. Since, plans have crystallized and particulars are available. As I've alluded to on several occasions, my daughter Sarah, her hubby Tim and their boys, Alex and Isaac live in Dallas. Since their move three years ago, Sarah has expressed her wish that we move there. Her reasons were and are many, primary amongst them that we could be closer to the kids.
Before I was diagnosed with ALS and everything in my life changed drastically, I never gave serious thought to moving anywhere. Amy had lived here her entire life, I'd been here since eighth grade and we were both deeply entrenched in and with the community, with her art, her hypnosis, her social involvement, my business, my taekwondo, our involvement in the music scene, her friends in the art world, my friends.......while my family can be found scatter shot throughout the country, Amy's brother and sisters, their families (in part) and her dad still live in or near Peoria. When Amy put on a fundraiser for us in May, we counted over 400 in attendance or at work. A couple months later a fundraiser held at the Silver Dollar Saloon filtered 300 people through the door- a totally different demographic from the May event. I don't mean this to sound like an advertisement for our popularity. It is apparent that if you live in the same place long enough, you get to know a lot of people. That we do. Combine all of this with the fact I'd been building houses for 26 years and Amy had been brightening the world with her art and personality all those years and the thought of quitting and moving was, well..... unthinkable.
Our world has changed. I have always thought of myself as innovative. I assumed my innovations were voluntary, but as it appears, my best change agent was thrust upon me in the form of an incurable disease. Go figure. Part- all- of me wishes I could present this innovation through a proxy except I couldn't wish my condition on anybody- I did recently mention Manson as an exception but that might not be true- except maybe a rabid dog in the Australian outback. That said, I can now see that whether or not I brought these changes upon us, there is good here. There are positives that can be isolated and extracted from any bad hand. There is a silver lining to even the darkest storm cloud.
I know that the people we care about and those who care about us share a bond that is impervious to time and distance. I am relying on this and know it to be true. When we move, I expect to extend the envelope of our connections all the way to Dallas. Today the world is contained in a nutshell. What with Skype, Facetime for you Apple people, e-mail, snail mail, cell phones with free long distance, even this blog, a part of me remains in Peoria. A part of us remain in Peoria. We will never be totally gone.
Remember, just because you're moving doesn't mean Peoria people will no longer be your friends. Just think of it as expanding your friend base. I know a little something about this...
ReplyDeleteI will miss you in person,but NEVER in spirit!
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