Just recently, I went home to visit my family and see some old friends. It has been about 16 years since I left and little seemed to change except for myself. Other than seeing my family, I really have no reason to visit. The place is a bit of a hole. A fly speck of a spot on a map in the foothills of Appalachia. Not really a particular pleasant place to be.
Let’s look at the reality of it. Greensburg is a suburb of Pittsburgh, about 30 – 35 minutes south-east of the city, with a population of about 16,000 people in the city up to about 60,000 in surrounding areas. Pittsburgh’s steel industry dried up in the late 70s and early 80s and when those mills closed up, so did Greensburg. It is a dead city with little to nothing going for itself.
Though I will always stay a hardcore Steelers fan, I don’t have much for the town I grew up in. I remember growing up there and feeling bored and empty. I always felt there was more going on in the world and wanted to see it. When I was 21 years old, a friend of my family had moved to Chapel Hill, NC. I knew a little about the town because it had a budding music scene. He called me and told me that if I wanted to check it out, I could stay with his folks for a couple of weeks. I left that morning. Chapel Hill seemed like everything Greensburg wasn’t. Fantastic music scene, cultured and lets not forget the fantastic weather. It’s a place that I regularly call home now.
The one thing I remembered most about Chapel Hill was how pretty everything was compared to Greensburg. Things did not look run down and broken. Everything seemed to have a life of its own. I remember pulling into my friend’s house who I was staying with and it seemed like I was breathing for the very first time in my life. I for once in my life felt I was alive and could truly explore my thoughts and be the person I always wanted to be.
While I was home I went out a few times and saw some old friends from high school. Some seem to like where they lived and that is fine. If I had enjoyed that area, my life would have been a lot simpler. I am not trying to tell you guys were to live, but I do want you to answer a few questions for me.
- Is there a male to female ratio that supports your needs? Are you able to meet people who interest you?
- Are you able to find work in your field of expertise? How far is your commute?
- Are you challenging your mind?
- Are you able to be yourself without having to explain yourself?
- Are you truly happy?
Just because you were raised in an area does not mean you have to stay there and carve out a life. Your parents had their reason to move there and you have your reasons to move out. You have the power to change whatever it is you do not like in your life. Don’t just take what life gives you, go take the life you want.
