I would love to tell you that all has gone well and that I've had nothing but "happy feelings" about the move. But that wouldn't be exactly the truth....it's not always been that way in the past 6 days. Remember that I'd been a Reno County resident for, well FOREVER, and truly it's the only life I've ever known. To uproot myself from a place that some may consider boring and ho-hum, was actually pretty traumatic. When I left school on Monday afternoon late, I left with a sense of dread and impending doom. The 43 mile drive back to Valley Center was tough and I'm going to admit it, a couple of pretty big tears fell down my cheek as I turned to the east onto Highway 96. Seeds of "self-doubt" started to appear in front of me and I wondered if I had done the right thing.
The more I drove towards Wichita, the more I realized just what was happening to me. Even though I was more than ready to move to Valley Center, I began to realize that I was holding onto the "predictability" that life had to offer me in Hutch. Kinda happens to you once you've been here as long as I have. It may have been a "routine" kind of life, a bit lackluster on the excitement part, but at least I mostly knew what to expect each night. In Valley Center, I had no idea what would await me or how I would manage to get through it all by myself, alone.
I thought for awhile about what I'd be doing if I was still living there on 14th Street. For one thing, I'd be home already~having lived only 1 mile from school. I'd be heading through the Wendy's drive-thru and ordering my "usual" order of a large chili with croutons instead of crackers. (sorry, I'm weird that way) Then I'd head home and take a mile long walk around the neighborhood. I might see my friend, Michael Lucia, outside his home on 17th and Maple and wave or even stop to talk. And the night would go on and on just like it has forever. But not that night.
45 minutes later, with one stop at the 53rd Street WalMart, I was home. Opening that front door without Grahame or Oblio the "round head" cat to meet me was a sobering experience. Even though I knew they were living in Wichita, only 20 minutes away, I still half-expected them to be at the front door when I arrived. But it wasn't like I was alone....at least a gazillion unopened boxes were still waiting for me to open them. Dang, I'd heard stories about the "helping get stuff unpacked fairy" that often visited the good citizens of Valley Center once they had moved to town. But alas, I guess that's all it was, a story :)
Monday night, I found one of my countertops and the top of the dining room table. I broke down many of the card board moving boxes, took a ton of newspaper to the recycle bin, and did one last thing that made me feel good again...I took a walk in my new neighborhood. And friends, you know what? That simple mile long walk was the turning point for me and Peggy Miller's "that sucks" attitude.
I didn't know where I was going to walk, all I knew was that I WAS going to walk. I headed straight south on Abilene Avenue for one-half mile and then turned around to come back home again. I learned a lot about life there in a very short time. Valley Center folks are just like Hutchinson folks. They have grass to mow, their kids play in the front yard, neighbors visit with one another over their front porches. And sooner or later, I knew that I'd meet some of them and one day have several that I could call "friend."
As I was heading back, only a half-block from home, I was astonished to realize that one of Valley Center's schools, Abilene Elementary, was in my area. For crying out loud, I'd been there several days already and I honestly hadn't even seen it. And ok, you guys already know more about me than I ever thought I'd tell anyone...so here's the rest of the truth...I had walked right past it on the way south and ahem, hadn't even noticed it. Pathetic, isn't it? You young folks reading this, some day you will grow up to understand how that may indeed happen. Until that time, enjoy all of the brain cells you still have.
A 3-day weekend lies ahead of me and I'm kind of looking forward to tomorrow and the chance to stay around Valley Center without making the commute to school and back. I'd love to tell you that by Sunday everything in my house will be in order but I'm afraid that's a bit of a stretch. Little by little, box by unpacked box, things will be taken care of. The future is unknown to me right now, as it is to all of us. I still feel strongly that there was indeed a real reason for me to make this move. Until that reason is shown to me, I pray to just be able to be patient with life, patient with myself. Sure, I might be a little nervous about this change for me, but I remain more determined than I would ever be afraid.
Have a good evening friends and a blessed Maunday Thursday.
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