Go away little girl............

Admiration.

Article this morning "Science Explains.. What happens if you never leave your hometown?"

I'm of the onion there's no right answer, generically anyways (I was proofreading, noticed 'onion' insteada 'opinion', left it, cause it kinda fits. Some likey, some no likey onions, moving, staying.) To each his/her own.

Whilst many can't stand Facebook (and again, no right answer) I kinda like it for the quilt it is. I admire reading about friends (Dave, Maureen, Phyllis, Rex, Ron, Sue, etc) who had the wherewithal to Horace Mann it West for that occasional, or often view of the mighty Pacific. There are the Texans.. been there long enough now to proclaim so.. and frankly, folks scattered allover this great US of A.

Color me skeered, mebbe, to strike out. Yesterday there was a thing on FB asking how far from home are you.... Interesting, the answers were. Answers ranged from "Same House!" to 7,880 miles (Where was that Terry Hahn?).. Jim Greer, a close 2nd at 6,511 miles (I'm guessing it was somewhere you were serving our country, and thanks for that!) Where was that as well?

4,661 miles.. 2.4 miles.. 1,609 miles... 22 miles.. Back yard... 14.6 miles.. 10/250/600 from the three places we lived.. 750... 7.1.. 2.6... 940 miles (This was from Sault Ste. Marie, MI, WAY up there - brrrrr, funny though, know two from Upper P, both miss it.),,, 400 feet.. less than 5... 1,557.8 and 1,613.7 <-- Sue/Phyllis, those sounded kinda homesick!.. 1,226... 6 miles.. "too far".. 1208 miles and 37 feet <-- he's a captain for an airline, God Bless his measurement capabilities.. 65.5... 2 miles.. 15 miles.. yada..

The general idea, mixed. Some strike out, some never leave.

Article states "The immigrants that made their way across the ocean.. the cultures that clashed in the bustle of NY or Boston.. the pioneers and cowboys who settled in the Wild West.. and the prospectors who traversed treacherous country in search of gold - we, as people, idolized them all" and I find that true. That's oldstyle though, howabout today? (And Elaine, Randy, Ron, never forgetting those that were trampled upon.)

"We can all name a half a dozen movie, television, or book characters off the top of our heads who are "townies" or "losers" or just plain lazy for not ever having left the town they grow up in, right?".. Eh, mebbe, mebbe not. Fun, we called all the Jewell kids that disrupted, interrupted our homey town "Squirrels."

"People that grow up in densely populated areas of blue states are less likely to get married young..".. "Growing political divide - convincing people to stay home where they're surrounded by like-minded thinkers." Eh, ain't sure about that one. "Wanna move honey?" "Nah, I'm a Democrat (or Republican), let's stay."

"Highly active personalities are more likely to move, and extroverts will migrate to urban location with tons of social opportunities." I think one can see that in peeking at some friends. Boring I reckon I am. I resemble that.

"70% of Midwesterners still live in the state they were born... Californians being the most likely to move away from mom and dad."

My own personal experience. VICTOR, WHO ASKED YA? Sorry, my blog, nanny nanny boo boo. I've never really ventured. Oh, there was that brief respite 11 miles away for a few years in Kearney, MO - but, a snowstorm where I/we were honkered in for four days made me feel like I was in Saskatchewan - so, moved back, ain't never left 64068 again.

Again, skeered maybe. I likes familiarity. I too like reading the "Remembering Old Liberty" thingy on Facebook to get a bird's eye view of what folks, since moved, remember. It seems to be mostly positive, but, I know too there are probably many who don't/didn't give a rats ass about their hometown.

HS Graduation. Oh hell, now what? I gotta do something? Be somebody different? Go somewhere else? Again, me personally (AYE YAI YAI) - my mother worked for William Jewell College. Her pay tweren't great, but her title afforded her to be formally considered "Administration" so I coulda gone free. Gimme right?

Nope. When one is 17 (yes, I was a young punk) in the back of your mind you have this stupid idea "I can't be on the same campus where my mom works." So... I passed up free schooling to drive to Maryville, MO so I could drive home every weekend to see my then girlfriend. Duh. A 1.6 GPA (I'd leave on Thursdays, "Screw Friday class.", I lasted a semester.) Went to Maple Weeds for a couple three semesters, finally caved into the free school idea.

Man was that dumb (worrying about seeing my mom on campus). Turns out, it was my dog that was my embarrassment. Yep. In the days before leash laws, we lived across the street from Jewell. I would go to class, and whoop, there he was, Gabe (my hound.) Following my footsteps. Not cool (at least when you're 19.) I'd get outta class, uh huh, there he was, sitting/waiting. I'd walk to the next class, accompanied of course by my hound.. I'd sneak out the back door for my next class, somehow he figured it out, and again, there "we" were.

Looking back, I was lucky. I loved that dog. I remember the Chief's training camp, and I was so proud of Gabe when the offensive line was blocking on the 7-man sled, and yep, there was Gabe, barking, growling, taking a chunk of hiney outta Center EJ Holub's butt (EJ hitting sled with right arm, swooshing Gabe away with left.) Or, the times the manager at Safeway would call "ahm, it's 95 degrees, Gabe is sitting between the automatic doors so he can take in the AC, we can't get him out, can you help?" (This was all after he'd walked to Co-op and Snoozy bought him a candy bar outta the machine daily.. funny.. no one knew about chocolate/dog/bad, but, it never hurt him.)

I'm getting windy, sorry. Again, I dunno if I'd call it envious, but I do so admire those that struck out for greener pastures, certain wonderful experiences. They say now, with all the dot.com jobs, one can live anywhere. I IMMENSELY admire those that followed the military, transient life, be it as a child or as a young adult. Lord knows I coulda used a cup of that discipline.

I kinda like where I'm at. There is no place like home, right Dorothy? Back in the day I could 'get away from home' but still be minutes away from mom's Spanish Rice.. or... The $5 loan for 'textbooks' so I'd have enough gas to drive to Sammy's bar in Kansas 6 or 7 times. (Hey, it was a VW and gas was under a quarter at the time.)

Anyways, I'm happy with my decision. You?

Go away little girl.. if you wanna. I'm personally, a lover of levity from Liberty. Not bragging at all, it's simply me, where I ended up.

Love, Victurd.