Charlotte and I made a very important decision many years ago. We made this decision when we married and then repeated it a number of times. The decision we made was that we would enjoy wherever we lived.
In our married life, we have lived in a number of places.
- Florence, Alabama
- Pulaski, Tennessee
- Dallas, Texas
- Hawley, Texas
- Florence, Alabama
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Waco, Texas
- Memphis, Tennessee
These places are very different from one another. In one place we lived for a few months (our first stint in Florence, Alabama) and then returned to live almost eight years. We lived in Waco, Texas for twenty years! We lived in cities known for barbecue such as Kansas City and Memphis. We also lived in Texas known for Tex-Mex and barbecue beef. We lived in Hawley, Texas which is just outside of Abilene.
Before we moved to each place, we decided prior to moving that we would enjoy living in that city and that we would look for the good in that place. I have seen far too many people move to a new place and then spend the entire time there comparing it negatively with their last home. Often they would compare congregations, sports events, etc. The city where they presently lived would typically be lacking in something.
After years of moving with a more positive mindset, I can honestly tell you that we have found moments of great joy in every place where we have lived. Yes, there were aspects of previous towns/cities that we did not especially enjoy. However, we were looking for the good in each place instead of becoming obsessed with what was lacking. We miss aspects of almost every place we have lived. However, there are also wonderful benefits of being right where we are.
So when someone asks me, “How do you like Memphis?” My answer is, “We like Memphis a lot! There is so much about Memphis that we enjoy.” This answer is rooted in a decision we made a long time ago and has brought us much joy.