Let’s see, pull out my smartphone, open Mapquest, enter
destination, get directions – oops, Mapquest needs to know FROM WHERE! If
you’re going anywhere you really need to know where you’re starting from. Given
my last post, probably a good idea. So let’s take a little inventory.
OK, we live in a nice two story, three bedroom home that can
easily absorb groups of 16-20 people for entertaining, with a finished basement
apartment (no kitchen) on four tenths of an acre in a well maintained
neighborhood of mixed ages from young families to retired folks to
multigenerational households like ours. We’re in a township with low property
taxes, good schools, convenient amenities and friendly people (hey, I even get
to chat occasionally with my township clerk at breakfast on Tuesdays). We’re
five minutes from grocery and convenience shopping and from a state university.
We’re less than a ten minute drive from a 1500 acre county park
with over 20 miles of paved and maintained hiking and biking trails, lakes and
a river, a large public beach, a boathouse with kayak and canoe rentals, and an
open air amphitheatre. We’re just over ten minutes from shopping at one of the
largest and most diverse malls in the state, surrounded by many really good
chain restaurants. We’re less than fifteen minutes from a metropolitan area of
over 250,000 people with a nationally recognized heart center, major hospitals,
pro sports, first class arts and entertainment, fine dining, excellent shopping
and a strong and growing business community. We’re less than an hour from
several of the largest and highest rated freshwater beaches in North America.
And we have easy access to air service anywhere in the world just half an hour
away. Hmmm, sounds like a commercial for Pure Michigan™.
My wife’s mother is in assisted living just a mile from the
house – we can and do see her nearly every day, and help with finances, mail
and any other support she needs that isn’t provided by the facility. Our son
and daughter-in-law live with us and work from home, as do I; our son is also
employed part-time outside the home. My wife works full-time outside the home
and is our primary source of “steady” income – she’s been the “breadwinner” of
late. All four of us help with home and grounds maintenance. Our daughter and
her family now live on the West Coast about four hours south of San
Francisco. My 85 year old Dad and my
siblings live less than an hour and a half away. They’re all independent; but any
living and lifestyle decisions we make will affect all of these people.
This all sounds pretty analytical, but I like having lists.
My natural instinct is to slip into strategic planning mode so this kind of
assessment is right up my alley. What’s interesting is that it’s not just
“location” that’s our starting point. It’s relationships with family, friends
and neighbors, along with those dreams and ideas in my previous post. In
reality though, what matters most is the two of us, and next to us, our family.
In these last three posts we’ve thought about options, what
we see for our future and where we’re starting from. You might want to do the
same … being in the sandwich can really help you focus on your own future and
lend some urgency to those thoughts and actions. I wish you well as you engage
in the process. Remember, a little planning is OK, but don’t forget to live
your life!
Peace my friends …
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