Good-Bye to the Buckeye State
Thu, 12/08/2005 - 01:43 — dradmin
I just spent 10 days at my parents' house in Ohio sorting through boxes and boxes of paper, carefully wrapping fragile knick-knacks, and trying to figure out how they will ever fit 3,000 square feet of stuff into a 1200 square foot house in San Diego. They are moving to SD permanently in February.
It was quite strange seeing the old house stripped down to bare furnishings-- knick-knack-less and paperless, as it were. They have been in that place 30 years (paid off in 15, thanks to my mom's financial sense), and I have many good memories of my life there. Since I moved out I've managed to visit at least once or twice a year; it will be almost ghostly to return to Ohio without staying at that house. And a big change for my parents, who did a similar move 40 years ago, from the East Coast to the Midwest.
My brothers and I have been nagging them to move for some time, and now that it's actually happening, I wonder how well my folks will adapt to the image-laden (fake) society that is Southern California. It will be tough to start over making friends and connections. That, and there are no trees here. But then, no leaves to rake or snow to shovel, either.
I just spent 10 days at my parents' house in Ohio sorting through boxes and boxes of paper, carefully wrapping fragile knick-knacks, and trying to figure out how they will ever fit 3,000 square feet of stuff into a 1200 square foot house in San Diego. They are moving to SD permanently in February.
It was quite strange seeing the old house stripped down to bare furnishings-- knick-knack-less and paperless, as it were. They have been in that place 30 years (paid off in 15, thanks to my mom's financial sense), and I have many good memories of my life there. Since I moved out I've managed to visit at least once or twice a year; it will be almost ghostly to return to Ohio without staying at that house. And a big change for my parents, who did a similar move 40 years ago, from the East Coast to the Midwest.
My brothers and I have been nagging them to move for some time, and now that it's actually happening, I wonder how well my folks will adapt to the image-laden (fake) society that is Southern California. It will be tough to start over making friends and connections. That, and there are no trees here. But then, no leaves to rake or snow to shovel, either. 