There is no Place like Home
So...here I am...1 year in Clinton and my rose colored glasses have been removed. I now I have to reflect, make decisions, and figure out the next step...again. I lke the small town feel of Clinton. The ability to let my kid walk by herself to the library (while I watch her out the window of course); and her active lifestyle here I am sure has brought her out of her shell. She has run and made stu...dent council, was in a pageant, and plays softball now. She has friends. She attends camp.
The cost of living is considerably lower in Clinton. What we used to pay for in Northern Virginia I am paying half that and I have a house (although a bit small, older, and noisier) and I have an office on the square (beautiful but very noisy)...motorcyles (hmph).
All this said...why would we change that? Clinton doesn't care. Let me clarify. Clinton people care about what THEY want to care about...Supporting the YMCA, Amercian Legion, blah blah blah. But when it comes to a holistic support of something like the downtown area, local businesses starting to fail, and growing the local economy, they would rather drive to Decatur than support Clinton.
Now, to be fair, the cities don't care either. But they aren't "marketing" themselves as a local community with a farmers market, concerts on the square (which don't happen since my sister died), and a bed and breakfast community. The cities have more to do which is to be expected. But we miss the simple things like not having to drive 21 miles to get something because the world's smallest WalMart doesn't have one. We miss the 2nd best public education in the nation.
Moving again is not fun. And this time we would likely be moving 2 businesses and the house. At what point is enough? Is this fair to Avery or is the small town experience just another stepping stone? Some people say you can't go home. Many people asked my WHY I moved back to Clinton. Now, with the glasses off, I can see why they asked. Clinton will always be my hometown. But I think, it will never be home.
The cost of living is considerably lower in Clinton. What we used to pay for in Northern Virginia I am paying half that and I have a house (although a bit small, older, and noisier) and I have an office on the square (beautiful but very noisy)...motorcyles (hmph).
All this said...why would we change that? Clinton doesn't care. Let me clarify. Clinton people care about what THEY want to care about...Supporting the YMCA, Amercian Legion, blah blah blah. But when it comes to a holistic support of something like the downtown area, local businesses starting to fail, and growing the local economy, they would rather drive to Decatur than support Clinton.
Now, to be fair, the cities don't care either. But they aren't "marketing" themselves as a local community with a farmers market, concerts on the square (which don't happen since my sister died), and a bed and breakfast community. The cities have more to do which is to be expected. But we miss the simple things like not having to drive 21 miles to get something because the world's smallest WalMart doesn't have one. We miss the 2nd best public education in the nation.
Moving again is not fun. And this time we would likely be moving 2 businesses and the house. At what point is enough? Is this fair to Avery or is the small town experience just another stepping stone? Some people say you can't go home. Many people asked my WHY I moved back to Clinton. Now, with the glasses off, I can see why they asked. Clinton will always be my hometown. But I think, it will never be home.
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