Blog chronicling the decision to deviate from the standard model
Why?
That’s the first and most obvious question I’m asked when I reveal my decision to leave my job of twelve years in a growing metropolis of opportunities and financial stability.
My job is a very good one. It is a small office that has managed to retain most of the startup sensibilities—autonomy, varied responsibilities, flexible schedule--while remaining successful/profitable.
I live in an apartment in Seattle. The city has grown significantly in the 13 years I’ve lived here, but the pace of growth has resulted in a further acceleration in the pace of life. My neighborhood is walkable, with grocery stores, restaurants, and cafes nearby. My office is a 30-40 minute commute (20 minutes if I leave very early in the morning). Traffic can fluctuate pretty severely, which has the psychological impact of mentally factoring a substantial time in traffic when making social plans. Combine the lack of readily available parking options and the possibility of inclement weather and suddenly, spontaneous activities become less appealing. Even getting together with friends in the same city becomes restricted to a weekend activity.
There are plenty of folks who adapt to these conditions by utilizing ride-sharing services for travel to avoid parking or spending more time at home with their families. The former is little more than a stopgap for those who seek an active social life and one that does not address traffic concerns or accommodate the freedom of altering plans. The latter option is appealing to me, as someone who values quality time with conversation and small social circles; however, for those of us who are single, a home represents solitude and isolation for a majority of the time. Solitude and isolation are also valuable and appreciated, but mainly when they are choices, rather than a status quo from which to deviate.
Even the simple act of driving without a destination is a luxury that has become difficult to enjoy in a congested urban cityscape. Traffic has many negative impacts that range from the obvious logistical challenges to the more understated psychological erosion of patience and goodwill—any seemingly thoughtless action is amplified as a personal affront and injustice. I don’t like finding myself cursing at other drivers or being impatient. I recognize that this is a challenge I should attempt to overcome in myself, but if there is a better environment for me to exercise patience, I’d like to explore that.
I’m a man who values taking his time to appreciate life. I value roots and home and family and friends. I’d like to have my own house and turn it into a home. The longer I’ve been in this city, the more distant the prospect of home ownership seems. The housing market boom continues and my boss has encouraged me to invest in a home. My concerns are three-fold: firstly, I would view a home as a terminal investment, in that I would want to buy something where I could plant roots and take decades to develop. Such an investment would necessitate my remaining in an area for that time and preclude my moving elsewhere.
Secondly, the cost of buying a home in this area would be such that I would need to remain gainfully employed and advancing within my career in order to afford buying and maintaining a home. Losing my job or deciding to pursue another career would be a much riskier proposition with a mortgage responsibility.
Lastly, buying in an area where I could afford the cost of the home and find the pace of life I’d prefer would further increase my commute time and reduce my time spent enjoying the home, as well as time for social endeavors (i.e. meeting a significant other and developing interpersonal relationships).
Community is something that I find valuable and developing community is integral to society. It seems that a growing number of social ills are the result of isolation and marginalization—violence, homelessness, and the general attitude of division and faction resentment that pervades the country and world at large. We tend to choose the path of least resistance, which leads to our gravitating toward like-minded groups who can further reinforce a like-minded perspective, rather than consider alternative viewpoints in an honest way. We don’t have to live with people with whom we disagree, so we consider those people as outsiders who are “wrong” in their worldview. If we are forced to live together with those with a different point of view, we tend to find ways to get along together and respect our differences. Eventually, that respect allows us to more honestly consider different points of view and build a diverse ecosystem that is more resilient and more likely to endure adversity—whether it be economic challenges or other threats to the well-being of the community. With that well-being reinforced, it provides greater stability for those residing within the community and enables them to spend more of their focus on introspection, advancement, growth, and enlightenment. If I don’t have to worry about my neighbors as much, that gives me more time and freedom to do what I want with my life.
