“His Life Must Suck!”

The ‘he’ referred to as “His” in that statement is me. The author of that statement is my friend’s 89 year-old mother. My friend, Carolyn, is the person who has allowed me to hang out at her house while I’m tying up some loose ends and working on converting and building-in my still, as of this writing, unnamed Ford van. Her mother lives two houses away.

We three have dinner most nights of the week when Carolyn is not in Martinsburg, WV (usually for three to four days) caring for mentally maimed veterans (she’s a psychiatric nurse). Carolyn’s mother knows that I grew up in the New York City megalopolis in what is known as North Jersey. There is North Jersey and South Jersey and they are distinctly separate. The western part of South Jersey is part of the Philadelphia megalopolis. The eastern part of South Jersey includes most of the Jersey Shore including Atlantic City, Ocean City and Cape May. The formal name of the state, New Jersey, is primarily used on maps that show the entire state and by non-Jerseyites who aren’t in the know.

I make the point about Jersey because Carolyn’s mother views me more as a “Big City” guy, even though I’ve lived most of the past 38 years in rural and semi-rural locations (nearly twice as long as I lived in North Jersey growing up).

The little town of Keyser, WV is a small rural town located in the north central part of the state and is directly across the Potomac River from the narrow panhandle that makes up western Maryland. The nearest big city metro areas are about three hours away in several directions and include Washington, DC, Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Keyser has a current population of approximately 5,300 and has been on the decline. That’s about 27% of the population of the city of Winchester, VA that I lived near for about 27 years.

Keyser has a bowling alley for entertainment. That is it. Years ago there were three movie theaters and a music hall, but those are all history. There is a small two-year college that has less then 1,400 students and a small, private hospital. Shopping is very limited but there is a 24 hour Walmart Supercenter, two other supermarkets, a small department store, about half dozen fast food and chain restaurants, about four or five places to buy gas, some small local restaurants and businesses, a Ford and a Chevy dealer and that’s about it.

The three major industries in the area include some coal mining (that at one time was a major employer), a paper mill that is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy and employs about 800 people (down from it’s better days when it employed about 2,400) and some agriculture.

Fifty years ago, Keyser was a happening place. It was where the folks from all the other small towns came to shop and party. Currently, it’s, unfortunately, a small town on the skids like so many other small towns across the U.S. If things continue in the current direction, I’d project in another 20 to 30 years, if that long, Keyser will be all but a ghost town and there are many of those throughout West Virginia.

So, it’s easy to see why Carolyn’s mother would think my life must suck being here in Keyser. I guess it would be a normal assumption and, probably, for most people with my background, educational level, years of business and travel experience, it would suck. But, that’s where my life differs from most people. I don’t have to be in Keyser, I choose to be here. I don’t own any property here. I’m not employed here (nor anywhere else). I don’t have family here. Basically, I’m not vested here in anyway. I’m here because my friend offered me a place to hang out to tie up those loose ends I mentioned and to work on my van. Other then that, I could still be in northern Virginia at my Air Force buddy’s house or in Winchester, VA or virtually anywhere I choose to be. That is a very hard concept for most people to grasp.

Of course, I help Carolyn out doing anything I can to assist her. I do little things for her mother and take her out to dinner when Carolyn is taking care of our veterans. And, Carolyn appreciates the company when she is here since she’s been divorced for some 20+ years herself and lived by herself since her son married and joined the Navy about 18 years ago. When Carolyn was plying her nursing profession at the Winchester (VA) Medical Center about 8 years ago, she stayed at my ranch and slept during the days (she always works night shifts). So, I basically helped her out back then. So, it’s always great when friends can help each other out from time to time.

So, does “his life suck?” On the contrary, my life is great. I am able to focus my attention on my writing and blogging (the blog is building a nice healthy worldwide readership). I have a place to comfortably work on the van conversion, something I couldn’t do in northern Virginia or in Winchester. I’m able to focus on completing my downsizing process and clearing out the storage unit I still have. I can do all this with low overhead, no mortgage or lease commitments, the ability to come and go as I please when I please and, best of all, virtually no stress. Now, I ask you, how can my life suck?

Oh yeah, and one more thing. I’ve found out just how adaptable I am. I’ve found that I have no problem adapting, adjusting and enjoying wherever I happen to be, especially when, for me, this is stress free living.