In the City

I had to drive to the city (300+ miles away from home) for meetings.  I get to see family and friends while I am here, which is nice, but what a culture shock it is each time I’m here.  From a very rural, laid back area, to a metro area of 1 million plus people, traffic lights, freeways, heavy traffic, crazy drivers (ok, we have crazy drivers too, but it isn’t so bad when there are only two cars on the road, total).  Whew!

I can’t believe I used to live here, and I can’t believe that I used to have a job here that ruled my life.  I was my job, and my job was my life.  Why??  What did I miss during that 35 years?  I can tell you my old job doesn’t miss me – it’s tough on the ego to find out you were just a body drawing a paycheck instead of a valued member of an organization.  So easily replaced, so easily forgotten.  The newer generations have it right about working.  We worked during the week, and rested up on the weekends so we would have enough energy to face another grueling week.  They work during the week so they have enough money and resources to play on the weekends.  They don’t expect companies to be loyal to them, so they have limited (realistic) loyalty to the company.  There was a time I thought that viewpoint was incredibly self-centered and selfish – now I wish I had learned that lesson decades ago. 

There are a few things I miss about the city, but I don’t miss them enough to wish I lived here again.  One of the things I miss most is sushi.  I went to a little hole-in-the-wall sushi place last night, by myself, and had three delicious rolls.  It wasn’t a place I knew well (only been there once before), so I experimented with the rolls.  Yummy – I wish I’d had room for more, but I was so stuffed it was hard to get the last three pieces into my mouth. 

I wrote what is above four days ago.  I’m home again, after four very hectic but very pleasant days.  It was so wonderful to drive out of the metropolitan area yesterday morning.  Within 100 miles I was completely “in the country” again.  Hallelujah Hallelujah (and I’m not religious, in the traditional sense anyway).  In another 100 miles I started seeing some red rocks, and another 100 miles to home.  Now, sitting in my recliner in my living room, laptop at my side, I can lift my head and look out the windows and see my sheets drying on the line, and the most beautiful panoramic vista all around.  It’s hard to be so far away from my son and his wife, but it is so right to be here.

Until next time I feel like writing….