I am in the process of making my latest adjustment in life, namely getting the hang of living in a small town. I have to admit that basically I am a big city girl. I like all the convenience and culture and rhythm and excitement that a big city offers. And having lived in one for so many years, I have learned to suppress my annoyance with the noise, crime, dirt, congestion, traffic, etc. etc. etc. that is part and parcel of living in a metropolis.
It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed being in the country. I grew up in Portland, Oregon … but you already know that from reading Becoming Alice, and I have a great need to have nature, plants, flowers, trees, grass lawns, etc. etc. etc. all around me. Fortunately my homes have always had those amenities. And now I am in a small town where those wonderful gifts of nature are even more abundant. I love that.
However, I am reminded by my mother’s warnings early on, “You can’t have everything!” The other saying was, “If you had everything, it would be paradise on earth … and one can’t have paradise here and now. Maybe later … who knows?” Smart lady!
I’ve already told you the shortcomings of big city life. I am now making my adjustment to Small Town America. One of my annoyances is the lack of shopping facilities. I do miss not having a Peets Coffee shop anywhere near. I can’t pop into a Bed n’ Bath every once in a while … with coupons in hand, of course. I like to buy some stuff at Cosco … so much cheaper … and Trader Joe’s … for things I can’t get anywhere else. Nowhere near. So far I haven’t found a jeweler who can size my rings as my fingers get fatter and I don’t know where to go to have a shoemaker reattach my high heel when it breaks off my favorite pair of shoes … you know the ones that don’t hurt and still look fabulous.
There is good news on the horizon however. I have found an old fashioned American shopping mall that is only about a thirty-five minute drive from my house. Now, if I can only find a chunk of time where I can go and research it out. I will have to subtract seventy minutes driving time and another twenty to thirty minutes parking and walking to the front door of the mall just to get to my destination. Then I will have to add more time to research the facility out to see if my favorite places are there. I’m not sure I will have enough time left to actually buy something. I think making this adjustment may take a little time.
Filed under: Becoming Alice
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