Peace and joy is”Welcome”

 Welcome to a “New” Town

Well in the last entry we mused about moving and somehow moving is suspiciously like life....you know....you haul around everything you “own” from place to place and find out  that what you carry with you doesn’t always fit easily in the place (or situation) you currently occupy.  Also there is some real value in leaving some  things by the curb as you move forward.  You also find that some valuable things break when you weren’t expecting them to and you discover some old memories  remind you of both good and not so sunny times.  And as the late Bob Mendenhall once said you find out that many things are like. U-Haul...that is...

You call You Haul.  You Pay.. That’s all

Sometimes when you move either in location or in your mind you wind up in a “new” town and get the chance to take a minute to decide your approach to hiding, fitting in, standing out, or so some combination of these.  You make a choice on how you will mix with the culture so to speak.  

Now we have lived here for almost two weeks...the time has flown by and things are going well.  In the two weeks I’ve wandered around enough to get reported by the local citizenry (a story for another day)—I’ve been out to a couple of great local dining places and discovered a chocolate/ice cream Haus (German for stuff that helps you gain weight just by looking).  More importantly most of the “local” folks have been incredibly welcoming.... which has added to my peace and joy in a big way.... and that’s the first point. In what will be a three part series on  this new town.   

Seeking Peace and joy is usually a more productive experiment  if you connect with welcoming people and you are welcoming to any new ways these people approach  you or what they are doing.  Don’t be afraid to consider the way they define things, the names they give to streets, foods, dogs...etc.  

There are, of course some familiar chain stores and even so the people within have been pretty friendly and provided “hometown” service.  As someone new to town I’ve been reminded that treating people like they are your neighbor or your neighbor’s friends is generally a good way to be open, to approach life with curiousity instead of fear, and maybe more important to be willing to offer what you have  to make this picnic we call life a more enjoyable event.  So far... I feel inspired to contribute to the culture here just to pay back or equal the treatment of many places and organizations including but not limited to”. The Downtown Merchants Association, Big North Bar Bell (thanks for reminding me about the muscles I’ve forgotten) A Couple Local Banks, El Patron’s, the Blind Squirrel just to name a few... oh and no one has frowned when I’ve mentioned I’m new here.  How often do we have the guts to be open when new ideas and people come along?  

Well... I’ll have more to say about these first couple weeks  in the next two posts as well.... for now I’ll wrap up this the first two verses of a song that has been inspired by my first couple weeks here.

I really don’t mind thinking

And I’ll listen to suggestions

I’ll question a few answers 

But be glad to answer questions

I’ll try to use my energy to turn around my fear 

And remind the folks love conquers hate

Right Now and right Here

Chorus 

People often ask me 

“Why the sunny mood “ 

I say it’s not about what happens

Ya choose your attitude.... 

So far this town has a good attitude....I’ll try to measure up...