Best Place Ever

   It seems that many of us, at some point, are driven by a compulsion to convince others that, geographically, the place we live is simply the best place ever. However, deep down we know that we, or for that matter no one, can lay claim to living in the ideal location. Regrettably there are no Edens left. Although that's probably a good thing, for if there were, everyone would want to live there, and humans, being what they are, soon it would surely lose its distinction of paradise. 

Every place on earth, bar none, has its drawbacks; too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry, too windy and barren, or subject to earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes or floods. No decent way too make a living, at least to our way of thinking, or the local culture clashes with our own. Some of us may envy our old friends who still live back in the old familiar surroundings that we, in our fantasies, sometimes long for. The list is endless. Maybe that's why we need to convince others, because in doing so we fortify our own position, thereby convincing ourselves. 

There is no perfect place to live, persuading as we may be in arguing the point. 

When discouragement does set in, and believe me, eventually it will, and on occasion with a vengeance, one may have a propensity to keep it under wraps to save face. 

For some it may reach critical mass and can be contained no longer. Suddenly everything that could possibly be wrong with a given locale plagues the one we inhabit at the moment and discouragement runs rampant, inciting an attitude of doom and gloom and we begin to look for greener pastures. 

And therein lies the rub. 

With few exceptions, pastures are not greener. They just appear that way from a distance; especially if we're wearing rose colored glasses to enhance the view. 

Do I have a solution for this malady?

Contentment comes to mind. 

Does that mean there's never occasion to relocate?

No. We've all done it (with few exceptions) and maybe been the happier for it. 

I think it comes down to the question of why. When we can answer that truthfully, with a clear conscience, unfettered with selfish influence, the path will be clear. 

Very few observations are new; this one being no exception. Nothing new under the ,sun you know. 

On a recent trip, as we were making our way across Texas, I was thinking, and believe me, when you drive across Texas, you have time to think; not to mention philosophize, contemplate, analize, go glassy eyed, count to three zillion, daydream, wander, wonder, remunerate, renumerate, enumerate and go stir crazy. Not that it isn't pretty, there's just so much of it. 

Anyway, while we were driving through the endless rolling hills between San Antonio and El Paso, I suddenly got lonesome for the mountains. The last thing I'd seen resembling mountains was Tucumcari Hill in my rear view mirror, and that was approximately three thousand miles ago. Saw a lot of beautiful flatlands and forested hill country; but no mountains. I began to think, as we sometimes do when driving through a particular stretch of land we find unappealing; why would anyone want to live here?

Years ago I thought those same thoughts when driving down I-40, or old U.S 66 crossing Arizona. How wrong I was. 

It's the best place ever.