Well, it's been 41 years, now.
41 years and 2 months, to be exact- since I made the big move from Ohio to California.
Back then, being 19 years old and stuck in a Midwest town felt pretty boring. It snowed every winter, the summers were humid and full of annoying, biting insects, and life was pretty slow-paced. It didn't seem like there was much "adventure" to be pursued anymore. Not compared to California, that is. So I chose "flight."
Like the Beverly Hillbillies, I "looted up" my '67 Volkswagen Bus (after selling my hotrod '68 Chevelle SS) and hit the dusty trail leading west. Eight days of 'traveling adventure' followed, including blowing the VW's engine in Amarillo, Texas, resulting in a 3 day layover and $600 worth of repairs. After that delay was over, arrival in 'sunny southern California' was achieved just 2 days later. The "flight" was completed.
That was back when the state was "cool." Mostly friendly, pretty laid back, the ocean, the mountains, and ZERO snowfall in L.A. It was a pretty "liberal" place to live, but that was back when the meaning of "liberal" actually equated to being free, easygoing, tolerant, and most things associated with the "hippy" version of the word. Over the decades, the word "liberal" morphed into something harshly different.
Just like how the term "Progressive" has now evolved into meaning "Progressing against our founding values and morals."
It was so nice here for so many years- riding whatever brand or style of motorcycle along the beach, Mullholland Drive, the mountains in Ojai, or any of the scenic routes so well-loved by bikers.
For the daring/suicidal, there's the vicious, "no-turn-signals-allowed" L.A. freeways- STILL deemed the "worst and most dangerous" in the USA. What a title!
Then, in 1991, the helmet law passed. Bummer. After a few years, the "beanie" helmet was acceptable, and riding became fun again.
L.A. was huge on opportunities, seemingly limitless. It was broad a mix of people from every state and almost every country, and the 'compatibility factor' was pretty high up there, as everyone seemed to love living in semi-harmony in what was considered the paradise of the West Coast. Freedom was paramount, and the weather was consistently sunny. Of course, there was always that smog to deal with.
Seems like around the mid-80's, something started to change.
After Disco died, Punk Rock entered the scene and made being a smart-assed, doped-up, loud, obnoxious, pierced-tattooed-orange/purple/green/pink-haired societal outcast into being "cool." Cocaine became hugely popular, as did it's ghetto-oriented form, Crack. Street gangs like the "Crips" and "Bloods" formed, along with the MS-13, Nortenos, and countless other gangs followed.
Driving a car or riding a bike on the roads became challenging, aggressive, and downright mean.
The state seemed to be filling up fast with a lot of people who imported their anger and hostility with them. This continued to get seemingly worse every year, along with one of the fastest-growing crime rates in the USA.
After a few dozen vocations, (including the huge mistake of "Retail Management") I ended up in the world of Construction- probably the absolute BEST vocation in L.A., due to all the factors that made it a very steady living. Race riots, wildfires, earthquakes, mudslides, aggressive termites, and constantly-upgrading building codes ensured that there would always be plenty of work to do, except maybe for "rainy season."
This was all fine and great- until it became a huge chore driving to and from work, doing material runs, and dealing with the most hostile, belligerent drivers outside of Detroit. The cost of living in L.A. grew exponentially, rents skyrocketed with other living expenses, and the ever-growing amount of graffiti and littered streets became as common as the stale brownish-gray smog.
STILL, after all these challenges, I held ground and remained mostly optimistic that things could always improve.
Moving to Woodland Hills made life a lot more pleasant, at least for a few years. Nice surroundings, great friends, lightly sequestered from the "main drag" of the San Fernando Valley, and business boomed. Then the "great fire of 1993" hit. It knocked out utilities for a few days, and caused a mass evacuation from the area. Looters appeared, so I stood ground and refused to evacuate- mostly out of stubbornness and refusal to abandon my worldly possessions, and those of my caring neighbors. Although most of us banded together and helped each other out, I saw a change in human nature during that disaster that was nothing short of appalling. Price scalping on gasoline, materials, food, and household goods followed. Most folks immediately became saints and selflessly helped others, but a considerable number of others turned downright vicious and subhuman.
The same situation happened just a few months later, only WAY worse- after the 1994 earthquake. It got so bad that "scalping" laws were enacted to deal with those who used the disaster as an opportunity to extract huge profits from the afflicted. Even though I was making money hand-over-fist, (charging my "regular" rates) I saw a side of human nature that shocked and appalled me. It left quite a mark.
Life was still really good, but it would never be the same.
Fast forward a decade to 2004. Another disaster in the form of a semi-devastating house fire caused by the negligence and greed of others. Although horrible, scary, and one of the biggest challenges I've ever faced, my optimism overwhelmingly took over, and increased beyond all previous levels. According to the Fire Inspector, it was "an absolute miracle" that I survived the smoke and flames, which gave me so much more inspiration and grit than I'd ever known before- that I STILL carry with me to this day. I even coined a new saying- "No matter how 'horrible' a day may be, if you LIVED TO SURVIVE IT, that actually makes it a GREAT day." Face it- life is a long series of challenges and "tests" for us that builds our resilience and character, and things that make us stronger, tougher, and more experienced.
Sometimes, those disasters show us the "true colors" of others, too.
Folks that I simply considered "casual acquaintances" suddenly turned out to be selfless saviors, and pitched in tirelessly to help out in countless ways. What a huge, pleasant surprise and a Godsend. Unfortunately, the opposite ALSO became true- folks that I perceived to be "close" and "dependable" suddenly became "casual acquaintances" or avoided all contact entirely! Even folks I had previously helped many times over went into "I'm too busy right now" mode, or just plain disappeared. Fortunately, I had all the skills, experience, and tools to rebuild without much outside help. This was one of life's biggest lessons in both Human Nature, and my own inner strength- lessons that I'm forever grateful for.
I ended up in a tiny, one bedroom apartment after selling the home. It was next to the 134 freeway in Reseda, in a loud, filthy, crime-ridden neighborhood. I lasted exactly one year there, deciding that "flight" to NorCal would be necessary to retain my safety, sanity, and my newfound "ultra-optimistic" outlook on life. Another "helpful incentive" was when a bunch of my construction tools were stolen- my very life blood to earn a living. Another "incentive" was the 40 grain, hot lead .22LR projectile that found it's way into my lower back while riding the Hawg on the freeway one day. OUCH! FLIGHT time!
My thirteen years of life in laid-back, scenic, NorCal has been great. This area is strikingly beautiful and serene, and the people are mostly 'salt-of-the-Earth' types. However, this area is still part of the state of California, and like the majority of the state, has declined. Pot growers are literally EVERYWHERE up here. Cartels have gotten a very strong foothold here. Meth 'labs' and meth heads (tweekers) cause around 80% of all crimes here. (not unlike the rest of the state) Nowadays, heroin addicts and homeless folks have permeated every single area of Butte County, and the crime rate has risen sharply because of it.
It's a mostly Conservative area, but Liberalism, homelessness, crime, brutally exorbitant taxes & fees, the cost of living, and especially- a gigantic slew of the most ridiculous laws on Earth have all made even this "little oasis of Paradise" considerably less desirable. On top of that, the last few years have brought almost constant and ever-increasing wildfires- this year being the absolute WORST fires in the entire state's history. Combine that with a few gigantic FAILS like the "Crazy Train," the "Twin Tunnels," The Oroville Dam debacle, and even becoming a "Sanctuary State" for illegal scofflaws! Meanwhile, our gun laws now parallel those of Chicago, and even though pot is legal, plastic bags and drinking straws have now become "contraband!"
Yet, intentionally infecting someone with AIDS is now a mere misdemeanor! Go figure...
As much as it pains me to admit, "standing ground" here is now an exercise in futility. As I said when moving north from L.A., "When your environment permanently changes for the worse, then it's time to change your environment."
In other words, "flight."
On a sad note, leaving behind close friends and family will be a bit painful, but I'm actually getting used to that- after so many of them have moved away, died, or worst of all- those who have succumbed to the political hostility that has now swept over so much of the country. The same hostility that demands that if someone doesn't share your same "political views," you are somehow now their "ENEMY," and are to be avoided at all costs- even the cost of several previous decades of good, solid, loving friendship! Who the hell could have ever seen THAT coming?
On a good note, being in the same place for a decade or so seems to breed a kind of 'stagnant' feeling. As I grow older, I feel the need to continue to expand and explore, to broaden my experiences, and to keep things lively. "Nothing ever remains the same" and "All things must pass" are two time-tested, factual sayings that will forever remain true. That in mind, it will be a great new adventure, and a refreshing change to move back to my good ol' home state of Ohio.
On yet another good note, it will be absolutely wonderful to be a homeowner again. Especially at 1/2 to 1/4 the cost of a similar home in California! When you combine that with the cost of living in Ohio being around HALF the cost of California, how could I possibly NOT be WAY happier living as a "Buckeye?"
To close on a humorous note, there's a few folks that have expressed their dismay over my moving by saying "Why are you moving SO FAR away? I'm gonna miss you soooo much!"
Well, the feeling is mutual- even when those words are spoken by the few who rarely (or never) visit, and/or those who have only remained in "phone contact" via MY efforts, no matter what their current geological proximity may be! People are funny that way. Thank God for blessing me with a broad sense of humor.
To put it all in perspective, to "stand ground and fight" is almost always considered to be admirable, responsible, steadfast, and usually considered an act of either "bravery" or downright stubbornness.
However, the exception to that- "flight" is the more sensible option when the immediate environment becomes too overwhelmingly toxic to remain within it.
Lynyrd Skynyrd's song "Freebird" sums it all up pretty well.