At Home Away From Home

I initially considered "Stranger In A Strange Land" as the title for this posting; however, after more thought, "At Home Away From Home" appears a better choice.

I frequently tell people that I've never truly felt at home in any location. I certainly felt that way about my birth place, LaGrange, GA, where I lived until my 22nd year. I enjoyed many aspects of the various places in which we resided but none of them felt "right". As I wrote in one of my former newspaper columns, Lavonia at one time seemed more like home than any other place. That feeling has dissipated the longer we've stayed there. Yes, as I'm sure Andrea will point out, the "fault" is primarily mine. Hey, this existential restlessness may be imprinted in my DNA.

Yes, we have many friends, some very close ones, in Lavonia and some dating from Andrea's childhood. We have strong attractions to Lavonia First United Methodist Church, Andrea's ancestral church and the place where we were married. Our adult Sunday School class has been a refuge and inspiration.

I don't know if my existential restlessness will ever be overcome. I don't look for a perfect "home town" but, rather, a comfortable one. Even so, I don't think comfortableness actually means a lot. I like a variety of people with a wide spectrum of opinions and beliefs. I prefer to be in surroundings with people who don't insult either my intelligence or good intentions. I like to live near, but not within, a metropolitan area. I want access to modern conveniences, especially a high speed internet connection and a full cable TV package. Good liquor and wine stores are plus factors. A vibrant United Methodist Church constitutes a necessity.

I have missed being in or near a bona fide academic community. Clemson and UGA don't actually qualify as "nearby" academic communities.

Again, Lavonia meets many of these "requirements", and people there have continued to welcome us as community members, friends, and brother and sister in Christ. (OK, with a few exceptions from the Knuckle Dragging Philistines and Booger Eating Idiots who were incensed by my newspaper columns and activities on the Taxpayers Board of Equalization). As a bottom line, I could rather easily remain in the Lavonia area until the penultimate move to a nursing home or the ultimate move "home". Nevertheless, the sense of estrangement remains. Perhaps, estrangement is too harsh a word. Out of place might be a better descriptor.

I fully recognize that I may never feel truly at home until I'm "home".

Now, to Sun City. I certainly don't feel a stranger here. We find great comfort and joy being close to Anne-Marie and Christina. We've already had several visits from them. Their nearby locations furnish a great attraction to Sun City. Most of the people we've meet here are friendly. The Georgetown First United Methodist Church, where we've worshiped twice, has an outstanding program and ministerial staff. We've heard two great sermons in succession. (I won't make direct comparisons to any other churches we've attended except to say that, on neither occasion, did I feel insulted intellectually or bored.) While larger and more diverse, the adult contemporary forum Sunday School class we attend is lively and both faith- and intelligence-driven. I doubt, however, I will ever have as "intimate" a relationship to this class as to our class at LUMC. The chancel choir at GFUMC is great but may not have the level of musicianship as does the choir, person to person, at LUMC. The campus of the Methodist-supported Southwestern University, which we've not yet explored, is across the street from GFUMC.

Before making any decisions about remaining in Lavonia, moving full time to Sun City, or establishing a "winter" residence in Sun City and a "summer" residence in Lavonia, we want to see how things develop over the next three months. We appreciate living in this excellent duplex, which does not require a lot of maintenance and is relatively easy to keep clean. Assuming our "water front" property on Gumlog Mudflats will sell at a reasonable price when the lake recovers, a two-residence tactic probably would involve purchasing a small home inside Lavonia proper.

Anyway, it's too soon to make important decisions.

More later, as I hope to get back into the blogging mode on a sever times a week, if not daily, basis.