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Phoenix vs. Philadelphia

Phoenix vs. Philadelphia

or

“Go southwest, relatively young man…”

(Sunday, 5-15-05)

Forty years.

That’s how long it’s been. It’s how long I’ve languished in stagnant suburbs between Philadelphia and Atlantic City…suburbs that tout themselves as “historic” or “premiere” communities. It’s how long I’ve had to decide.

It’s my whole life. And, it’s about to change.

I have never actually lived in Philadelphia, but for most of my four decades I’ve lived nigh enough to see the soaring spires of One Liberty Place from the Southern New Jersey freeways….near enough to shoot over the Walt Whitman Bridge for work or cultural events…close enough to become a rabid Eagles fan.

Now, I am homesick for another place…a place I’ve never seen or visited.

“I don’t know…it’s just right”

(Inserted Sunday, 6-5-05)

It started innocently enough, as big things often do. My wife was researching Arizona online, and became increasingly interested, even excited, about going there.

“But why Arizona?” I asked.
“I don’t know…it’s just right” was her reply.

So, on a whim, I faxed a resume and cover letter to a Phoenix company, and received an enthusiastic reply in fifteen minutes.

I accepted the job, promising to be there in three weeks.

The events that followed confirmed over and over that a move westward was “just right” and imminent…

Our house went up for sale (one that we’d just purchased six months before) the day after my hire, and sold nine days later. We met people unexpectedly who were visiting from Arizona, or who had connections there. Our hearts began to long for a home we’d never visited. I awoke a few days later in the middle of the night, with the words “…carry the water to the desert” inexplicably in my mind.

I put in a two week notice at my job in Philadelphia.
“Why Arizona?” everyone asked.
“I don’t know…it’s just right” was my reply.
Suddenly I was a celebrity at work…I was “getting out”, and everyone was interested.

My wife and I took our parents to breakfast to break the news.
“But why Arizona?” they asked.
“We don’t know…it’s just right” was our reply.

Next:

An intentionally vague bit of history

or

“Long story long…”

An intentionally vague bit of history

or

“Long story long…”

(Inserted Tuesday, 6-7-05)

The first part of 2005 had been disastrous for us personally, mentally, physically, financially…I’ll spare you the gory details for now, but the cliff notes would reveal the looming specters of divorce, illness, and bankruptcy, all nearly occurring in four months time. And, for the record, we were spared all those things. For that, I am deeply grateful, and humbled.

As of this writing, we are stronger than ever…I am convinced, for many reasons, that God himself is all over this move, and our restoration. But, we’ve not been called to run away from anything, only to run toward…something.

Perhaps on a future day, I will post some or all of the contents of a journal I’ve been keeping which speaks of those things.

Grace is like cold water on a parched landscape.

For now, I will post excerpts of a trip log which details our 2440 mile trek from Millville, NJ to Phoenix, AZ.

Tuesday, 5-17-05:

Millville, NJ to Carlisle, PA

or

“You’ve got to pay to get out”

We’d spent the day loading the truck. We were exhausted, but determined to leave New Jersey that night, even if we didn’t get far.

I barely spoke all day as I disassembled furniture, marked it, and moved it…but my mind was swirling with questions, ideas, concerns, anticipation….

…will Jess and Kyle be ok?
Our twins will be 19 soon…they have lives, jobs, college…leaving them behind felt strange. I hoped they didn’t think we were abandoning them. They opted not to join us, after all…

…will Aaron and Steven be happy? (Ages 13 and 7, respectively) I hoped.

…I compared Senators. I’ve never been a McCain or Kyl fan, but almost ANYONE would trump Corzine and Lautenberg. (Eek…did I just say Trump?)

…I compared weather…a dry, dusty oven, or humidity tantamount to showering clothed?

…living expenses would be dramatically lower…wouldn’t they?

…I compared football teams, and vowed to remain a devoted Eagles fan for obvious reasons.

…would I be able to find any decent radio stations? I sure would miss WPRB.

…damn! I realized I’d never seen the Liberty Bell, though I’d lived less than twenty minutes from it my whole life! I just figured it would always be there. (It likely would, but I wouldn’t….stupid me.)

…when would be the next time I will saw my parents or siblings? Would they ever fly out to visit?

…I was not nervous. I was not nervous.

…etc.

Jess kissed my cheek. “Goodbye, Daddy.” I watched her go.

Kyle tearfully decided at the very last minute to come on the trip, and fly back to NJ on Monday.
It’s strange…he was barely home up until now, and when he was he’d spend it sleeping because he worked nights. The one who usually seemed solitary and almost indifferent was putting his life on hold to spend a few more days with us. It was very moving.

We finally departed at 900pm EST…5 souls, two vehicles, no loose ends. We were pioneers headed west on well traveled land, and with the tentative comfort and cold assurance of technology.

We paid our tolls, and crossed the Delaware River with little fanfare.

I looked at Center City Philadelphia adorned in lights….it always looked beautiful at night. I took it in, just as I had the faces of loved ones earlier in the day.

WPRB faded out as the miles increased. Aaron, my traveling companion that first night, made use of the scan button on the radio. We heard a jubilant song by The Raincoats.

Suddenly, Aaron pulled out his guitar and performed an impromptu blues song about a “cracker” named Jimmy who lived in a trailer park, and perished in a killer bee attack.

Three-plus hours, 171 miles, two restroom/coffee stops, and one more blues song later we arrived in Carlisle, PA, where we spent the night.

Next:

Carlisle, PA to Fenton, MO

or

“There’s plenty of me to go around”

we're going to Arizona, too.....

we always considered it a place we'd consider when we were ready to retire, but things are bad at work (here in new york-where i've had no peace of mind), and a door opened for us in Phoenix.....

so, we rationalize that we're just getting ourselves set up for "retirement" earlier than we expected, and that might be a good thing, as the cost of homes is sure to keep rising, and won't be any less ten years from now...that's a given.

and our son, who is two, will be twelve in ten years, and that will make it harder on him to move then, than it would be to move now...

and neither do we have any friends or family there, and that is what concerns me the most...

i am nervous, oh, i am so nervous, but excited, too....

because, also to us, it just seems right, that it is meant to be, that it is just too much of a coincidence that just as we need to find something new, something new has seem to have found us....

see you there!

Very cool.... I like this read