Being home

I flew in on Wednesday, only a couple of hours by plane. But oh what a difference a simple flight makes.

Instead of struggling to find my way around on unfamiliar roads, I knew exactly where to turn to avoid that traffic or head for a favorite cafe.

Instead of trying to remember the names that go with new faces, I was among friends and family.

Until the last century, people generally lived their whole lives among familiar faces, walking familiar roads. Of course there were a few intrepid souls who ventured further, but most stayed put, living and dying within a few miles of where they were born.

Now we pride ourselves on our mobility, on our non-attachment. But underneath, so many of us are lonely. 

We survive with acquaintances instead of friends, tout discovering the new and novel instead of treasuring the  known, and navigate with GPS units instead of memories. We, as a society, look down on people who prefer to live among friends, and chide those who dare to express their homesickness.

Moving may be a choice for some, unavoidable for others. But it's time we acknowledged what some of us have known all along.  Home is the very best place to be. Thank you, Florida, for welcoming me home.