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| Boldly going on moving day |
Last week I embarked on a journey, if not
into the unknown, at least into the unfamiliar. I gathered myself (and all my
worldly goods, my husband and two cats) and I launched myself into the ether. I
took a leap of faith.
On the surface what I did may seem a simple
thing, rather mundane. I just moved from Fredericksburg, Virginia, where I had
lived for almost twenty years, to the small mountain town of Marshall, North
Carolina, where hubby and I are building a new house. No big deal, right?
People do it every day. When I was a kid I did it every couple of years, for
reasons good and bad. It’s as American as apple pie. Just pick up and make a
new life in a new place.
And, really, this move isn’t that
intimidating. After all, we’ve owned the land we’re building on for almost ten
years and have been visiting Marshall for all that time. We know the area and
some of the folks in town by name already, so we have a start on making
friends. My husband’s parents are just down the road in Black Mountain.
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| The house goes up on the mountain |
Still, we’re leaving behind longtime
friendships and our kids and grandkids, who will be much further away now. And
despite the close allure of Asheville, we will be giving up the convenience of
town life for the peace and quiet of the country. It will be a change.
People have mixed reactions when we tell them
what we’re up to. Most won’t come right out and say they think we’re crazy, but
you can see it in their eyes. Why leave everything behind and start over at our
age? Some say they wish they could but . . .
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| Blanca adjusts |
Actually doing something like this—building an
intentional community with others in an unfamiliar place—takes vision and a
certain amount of pioneer spirit. It takes belief in yourself and your ability
to persevere and adapt. It requires creativity and determination and
flexibility. The challenges it presents are a major part of the fun. All in
all, it’s a lot like writing, something I plan to do a lot of here on the
mountain.
And just like with writing, you take that
leap of faith knowing the reward will be well worth it once you succeed.
PING PONG
--Congratulations, Laurie, on your LAST BUDGET CYCLE EVER! Yay! Pretty soon you'll be taking this leap of faith with me as you hit the retirement road!
--Agree with you completely, Greta, that you need to know the rules of writing before you can break them. The best writers often bend the rules, but it's very clear they know what they're doing in the process.
Cheers, Donna
