Thoughts on Moving

Moving day. Image from National Archives and Records Administration

I've never been unpacked.

I grew up in a Marine Corps family, which is one of those family situations that leads to constant moving. It seems like we moved once a year when I was young. Later we began settling down for a few years at a time, but we never completely unpacked. I was in junior high school before I learned that not all furniture has moving stickers on it.

I'm moving again. It's always a hassle, but it's exciting too. Moving to a new place gives you a chance to look at all the junk you've accumulated. Some of it has memories. Some of it is just junk. How did I end up with so much junk?

Moving's a good time to look at habits. Maybe it's a chance to break some bad ones, or at least think about breaking them. Maybe it's a time to form some new habits.
It's also a good time to remember how lucky I am to live in a relatively civilized, technologically advanced country. It's been a physically and emotionally painful week, but I'm still in much better shape than a lot of people in this world. I have clean water, electricity, computers, drive-through burger joints, and a sturdy home to keep the bad weather out. I have a lot of balms for my wounds.

I have more junk than I need and more conveniences than I deserve. I've had some bad times, but I've had a lot more good times.

I've been lucky to have so much.

I got to serve my country in the Marines. I got to help advance our technology when I worked in the defense industry. I've squared away some needlessly complex business practices for some clients and saved money for others.

I was a roofer for a few years too, back in my home town in Arkansas. I've put new roofs on houses that my grandfather helped build years before. I helped maintain our civilization, because you can't have a good civilization without roofs. That work has always been a source of pride to me. Like my ancestors, I helped make my home town a better place to live.

I've been lucky to have a life that's had some meaning, that's had some results.

So what's next? I'm on the downhill slope of my life, but I still have a few years left. Maybe a lot of years if I'm careful. What should I do with that time? I could just acquire more junk. I could just kick back and enjoy the benefits of living in America.

Or I could try to find ways to make it a better world for other people, to give them some of the luck, the conveniences, the comforts I've enjoyed. I'll never make a big difference in the world, but I can make some small differences. I can work to leave the world just a little better than it was when I got here.

Moving's a hassle, but it's a great time to think about where you are and where you want to be. It's a great time to get rid of some of the junk in your life and work on the things that really matter.