Do you love your neighborhood? Do you love your town? Do you love your state? These things matter to us. It’s more than just loving our home; we have to love where we live. We have to have a pride of place. It is so easy to think the grass is greener over there. Hint: It isn’t. I have been asked by the city of Overland Park, Kansas to speak on pride of place and I am over the moon excited.
Let’s celebrate the places we live and stop being envious of “cooler” spots.
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This matters to me. I grew up wanting to love where I lived, but what I really loved was Main Street Disneyland. That fake place had everything I ever wanted in a place. It had beautiful buildings, buskers singing barbershop, candy stores, and everyone was nice. It was perfect in my little kid head. I spent most of my grown up years looking for that. I looked in Costa Mesa, California, San Francisco, an intentional community in Missouri, back in San Francisco and now I believe I’ve found it in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
My little town isn’t perfect. People aren’t all on board with the (my) plan. The weather can be sticky or icy. The community can be overrun with bikers, Corvettes, crossdressers, Sunday drivers, or whatever subgroup happens to flop in on a weekend. I love them though. I love that people come to my little town to find their own version of Main Street. Every biker, car lover, and weirdo is welcome because I know how important it is to find your place.
Do I ever want to move? You bet. Every year. Something despicable will happen and I just can’t take it anymore. My feelings get hurt. My heart hurts over something. It’s just to darn hot. Whatever the reason, I get in a funk and look for jobs in other places. I look at Portland, Oakland, Denver, Santa Fe, Seattle, Maui… you name it. I’m qualified for things, but, really, deep down, I love where I live. The hurt, infraction, or squabble will end and I can go back to loving my little town.
After my talk next week I’ll share the ways that I get out of that funk – I have it perfected to a science. Look for it on the blog next week. Until then, do you love where you live? If yes, why and if not, where would you go?
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