Life is a Buffet, not a Cabaret …
Posted by Rick - 27/06/05 at 05:06:17 amPart of the reason I came back to the Washington, DC area 10 years ago was to be closer to my father. Neither of us was getting any younger, and for the most part he was alone. It didn’t hurt my rationalisations that I hated Los Angeles—and after mudslides, fires, Rodney King, O.J. Simpson, race riots, and a close-up view of one of the biggest earthquakes recorded in southern California history, who wouldn’t? Whatever the reason, I felt a need for change and decided to return to DC to try something else.
I have been thinking about all of this lately because after the death of my dad last year I realised that there wasn’t much left tying me to the area. At least nothing that would make dealing with rude people, crowded streets and subways, horrible traffic, smog, expensive housing, and the high cost of living worth it. Or maybe it took the death of my father (or my mother for that matter) to make me realise that life really is too short—for all we know, there really is only one ride on this big blue marble—and that one should treat life as a giant buffet and not like a MRE.
Don’t get me wrong. I love so many of the people I know in this area. In addition to meeting my wonderful and extremely supportive wife, Sarah, I have met some of the truest and dearest friends I could ever hope to know. DC has always been home. But now that my dad is gone, and the house I grew up in is inhabited by strangers, why not see someplace else?
With that in mind, this past weekend, Sarah and I officially put our house up for sale. We plan to move to Vermont by the end of the summer, and start our search for land on which to build our new home… and try something new.
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Well, I grew up in Vermont and I applaud your decision to move there! Though I now live in NYC, the traffic, rude people, etc, that exists here as well makes me ponder a decision such as yours. Good luck! It’s truly a state of nice people.
Comment by Vermonter — June 28, 2005 #
Oi vey! I felt tears welling up after reading that…
Comment by sam-the-grrrl — June 30, 2005 #
I’m excited to go, but at the same time I hope this doesn’t become a trend for other people. The point is to get away from it all, not join a flock of yuppies (new band name alert!). We *are* yuppies, of course, but I am hoping we can bring something positive to VT, to enhance the community in some way (and I don’t just mean with our presence
). It may be community service, it may be organic farming, it may be something we haven’t thought of yet. We’ll see what happens.
Comment by Sarah — June 30, 2005 #
Congrats on the decision and best of luck on the move. Change, for the most part, is always good.
Comment by Kevin — July 1, 2005 #
Change, for the most part, is always good.
I assume you saw the recent news, Kevin
Comment by Rick — July 1, 2005 #
I’ll miss seeing you at Atomic and parties. I’ll just have to stalk you via blog, assuming you keep it up in VT.
Comment by avg — July 1, 2005 #
There’s always IM, avg. But like I said this area is home still. We’ll visit. And hopefully you will too.
Comment by Rick — July 1, 2005 #
Wow! That’s amazing, exciting news! I’m looking forward to hearing about the move and your new life in Vermont…
Comment by Jayme — July 2, 2005 #
Your post reminds me of a famous line from the movie Auntie Mame…”Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death…”
Good luck and cannot wait to see you up here in New England! We can lend you our snow shovel!
Comment by Stephany — July 6, 2005 #
Good luck. I know this new chapter in your life/lives will be a good one. I know I shall certainly miss you both. It’s been a pleasure knowing you Rick and then getting to know Sarah, and hanging out with her on Saturday mornings.
We still need to do Mark’s Kitchen again before you both leave.
Comment by Roz — July 7, 2005 #
Wow, congratulations on making a big decision like that. I used to spend a week every summer in Vermont and loved it there.
Good luck!
Comment by sherry — July 24, 2005 #
Congrats, Rick (and Sarah)! I went to college in Burlington, VT, so I can vouche for what a wonderful state it is, and what a wonderful state of mind it puts you in
Hopefully, you’ll continue the blog, so we can learn of your adventures in the Green Mountain State.
Comment by Kim — July 24, 2005 #
Wow! I just checked in on your Web site and saw the news. Congratulations! How exciting! And sad…
Comment by Allison — July 26, 2005 #
Rick, congratulations bro. Vermont is one of our favorite places! I’m sure we’ll see photos of your new digs once you’re settled?
Comment by Jake — August 12, 2005 #
Dude:
You guys can’t leave before the third week in October, when I come limping into town in my van for the second week of the YOUNG GIRL EATING A BIRD poetry tour. Yes, my second book, and I’m right now scounting venues for readings. Getting a place to read in Washington (Politics and Prose, Chapters?) is like getting an LA producer to return your call, but I SWEAR I’ll be reading somewhere.
So stick around until then. I’d hate to FINALLY get to D.C. (let alone out of California) and have you be gone. Here’s the tour schedule so far in PDF: http://snipurl.com/h546-TWEG9
THEN you can go to Vermont, because I’ll be doing the Northeast Tour next April and May, when it thaws. Kaaren will be on that one.
Hugs,
RB
Comment by Richard Beban — August 23, 2005 #