That odd date: 07-07-07

[altivo]

I've been thinking about this on and off all day. I know I'm not the only one to mention it, but I have a special reason for doing so. It has been exactly 30 years today since I received the fateful job offer that brought me from Michigan to Illinois. Yes, the date of that phone call was 07-07-77.

I've tried sometimes to figure out what would have happened if I had stayed in Michigan. I'm not sure it would have been anything good, but I suppose I could be wrong. I grew up there, but even in 1977 I no longer had any close relatives in the state. All the rest of my family had either died or moved away. My parents were in Florida, a brother was in Virginia, the other brother in Texas, and my sister in California. Many of my personal friends from college had already left the state too, so it seemed like a good idea to follow suit. I'm not a big wanderer, nor fond of traveling. I was somewhat familiar with the Chicago area from many visits there and having attended school in Evanston for a short time, so I chose Chicago. It wasn't an easy move, and the first couple of years afterward were extremely difficult for me, both financially and emotionally. I felt more alone than ever in my life, for one thing, even in the middle of what was then the second largest city in the US. (Now third I guess, Los Angeles has taken over the runner up slot.)

I survived it, obviously. Eventually I made a few friends, and in 1982 met my mate. He's a Chicago boy born and bred, though of Polish descent. I like to think we've been a good influence on each other. Almost nine years ago I dragged him out of the city to this almost rural area, got him interested in farming, farm animals, and rural life, and here we are.

Comments

[atomicat.livejournal.com]

Hey, and I'm the first one here, the first one to raise a glass to chaos? Those littlest of things, missing a bus, or even a flash of thought. Fleeting, almost intangible, and the creator and destroyer of universes. Heh, how's that for profoundly romantic? Physics/math always does that to me. I guess I'll see what movie I feel like having on in background (or not), and change my life forever.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I believe in genuine chaos. I'm inclined to think that there's order to everything, and what looks like chaos is just and orderly system we haven't yet understood. ;p

[atomicat.livejournal.com]

Well we certainly don't know all the rules to the game yet but there's such a strong indication that probabilities are part of the rules. I'm of course in the above comments thinking of the tremendous effects seemingly trivial events have. These trivial events are brought about by even more seemingly trivial events, and where's the end of that?

Who knows, maybe we're meant to combine our trivialities, and multiply them into a greater whole. We should never feel ineffectual so hey, make the world a better place, create your reality, and hold that door open for that little old lady.

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

If the move caused you to meet your partner, then I'd say it was certainly worth it. :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'd have to agree with that. Though I still miss Michigan at times. And I lived in a university town there, so I'd surely have met someone eventually.

choices

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

hmm... you seems to be looking back more or les on a period I'm living right now- minus a few differences... cheifly that I don't feel alone, and while I used to, I haven't for about 2 years now- but beyond that, yeah. I can tell what ever happens, I'm in it up to my knees right now... ho high will it get? Who can say?

I don't go for believing everything has a purpose or some grand design- we are here, and good things sometimes come out of what we do, sometimes bad things do instead- but just because that's how I think, doesn't mean that's how it is. I really couldn't care... you can spend all your life looking for purpose- and while it may not be a wasted life, you won't find purpose until you make it up out of what you stumble across in it. I'm one of those weird people who doesn't need a reason to get up every day- I do it because I so choose and can... I'm comfortable in that.

I like to ponder things sometimes- very weighty things even- but I've learned to just let it go when I'm done... I'm starting to see how different many people are in this respect. I'm starting to see just how much of our lives are made by our choices... most people would have liked me to have it over a decade ago, but I'm willing to bet more than a few dollars those individuals haven't made any progress in this area themselves...

Re: choices

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Chances are you'd win your bet most of the time. Those who are eager to offer advice are often least likely to follow it. I know that sounds like the moral to an Aesop's Fable, but I just made it up so it has no cachet at all. ;p

Re: choices

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

*smirks* My, we do think alike... Aesop's fables weren't bad, just terribly outdated- how a fox outsmarts a crow for cheese would only work in an urban setting today :P

Re: choices

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Funny. I don't think they're dated at all. But then I live in a rural environment.