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Friday, December 05, 2008

It's the great northwest for me

Reader-submitted question: Why did you stay in the north?

I wish I had a really exciting story to tell you about this, but I don't.

The main reason is that I don't want to uproot my son. I even refuse to move out of this neighbourhood, because his best friend lives across the street. When you're a parent, your child is the most important consideration. His happiness is worth more than mine.

I have a really great job, so I don't need to go anywhere. I'm a writer, and I chose my job very carefully: I wanted a job that would give me the opportunity to write about the issues that affect the north. I also wanted to be part of the solutions in my own small way. The things I write are in books, in brochures and booklets, in ad copy, and in speeches and the things people say to reporters and the people who are sometimes called "stakeholders" (I hate that word). I often meet people who tell me that something I wrote helped them through a particularly difficult time. These people are usually dealing with terrible situations beyond their control. They often can't make plans too far in advance: they need to know what their first step should be. I can only imagine what their lives must be like. I'm honoured to be able to help them in any way I can.

I've been living here almost a decade, and I do sometimes think about moving on. One day, I probably will.

Thanks for your question.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

My husband and I are trying to move to the States before our son starts school, because we don't want him to feel uprooted. Finn moved around a lot while growing up and didn't like it very much.

Anonymous said...

It's easier to move when they're young. Once they hit the teen years, much more difficult. Kids make friends easily. It may be traumatic at first, but within a few weeks you will be glad you did it (if indeed you want to leave).

Anonymous said...

Scribe's comment reminded of something my best friend, who also moved a lot as a kid, once mentioned: If you do move, it's better if you do so in the middle of the school year. In her experience, the new school will set you up with a "buddy" who shows you around. This guarantees that you'll meet at least one person on your first day.

Megan said...

I now have three different readers who post as "A.". Who would have thought this would be such a popular handle?

Anonymous said...

What can I say? I'm so awesome that everybody wants to be me.

I think I'll just start posting as Evil Orange, though. Seeing all the other A's always makes me pause and wonder if some of the voices are getting out of my head.