Attitude Adjustment

I moved about an hour south in 2012.

I had one of my few epiphanies in life.

I guess I should be grateful for the ones I’ve had.

I surmise some people may have none at all.

The hospital department work schedule had just come out, and I realized I was scheduled to work but a few days in the coming month.

The thought came to me: why am I living here?
The ostensible reason was to be close to work, but if that became less, my reason for being there at all also became less.

So I called up my only daughter, who had periodically urged me to move nearer to her, and asked if she had been serious, or if she had been just saying that because it was a nice thing to say.

She assured me she had been serious.

So one sunny day shortly thereafter I drove an hour south and looked at potential housing with her.

Not knowing the geographic area, I didn’t want to buy.

Rather, I figured renting was more prudent to begin with.

It would give me time to examine various communities in the environs.

I was not determined to live in her community, though that was one option.

Nearby would be close enough.

I recalled American comedian George Burns’ opinion: “Happiness is having a loving, caring, close-knit family — in another city.”