Former resident reflects on change following move to North Carolina

Spectrum
 Friday, December 2, 2005
Former resident reflects on change following move to North Carolina
A lot of people seemed surprised when my husband and I decided to move to North Carolina. They wondered why we would take on such a big change at this senior citizen stage of our lives. Some people even came right out and told us not to do it. They didn't think moving just to be nearer our children and grandchildren was enough reason to disturb our roots, since younger people have a tendency to move when jobs or other circumstances demand it, they said. I can't say I fault them in their opinion because until a few months ago Herb and I felt the same way. Why rock the boat when the sailing is comfortable as is? But the fact that we missed the kids and that all five of them kept urging us to move closer to them made us at least consider the idea. The fact that they even found a house for us to buy clinched our decision to take the giant step we did. What's nice is that the people we were closest to in New Milford are still in touch with us and keep us up to date on what's going on, either by phone or by sending clippings from the local papers. We were sorry to hear about the Thrift Mart's problems and hope their move to a new location will be a big success. Also, I hate the thought of missing the AARP Christmas party at the Holiday Restaurant this year. I wish there were a way to get from one place to another like they do in the Star Trek shows (“Beam me up to New Milford, Scotty"). Obviously we're not that technologically advanced yet, but if we were, you can bet I'd be there. As sad as it was to leave the home and the people we grew attached to in New Milford, it was also hard to downsize years of accumulations. Then there were all the telephone calls to cancel local services and sign up for new ones, plus notifying insurance people, banks and anyone else one deals with, of the change of address. Just the frustration of getting past the automated telephone systems used these days is enough to frazzle the nerves when trying to transact any kind of business. Now that we're in our new house, we realize it's what we need. It has only one flight of stairs instead of three and only 12 windows instead of 33, and it's a much newer house than the one we were in before, making housework a lot easier. Besides that, we see the kids often now, and whenever some chore needs doing (like heavy objects lifted or lawn mowing, for instance), one or two of the boys show up to take care of it for us. During Hurricane Wilma's onslaught, our daughter and her family decided to be on the safe side by evacuating from where they live in Florida and coming to our house for a few days. We were delighted to see them and to have them see our new home. We feel we're adjusting to our move, even though there are still some things that will take getting used to, like the fact that over 100,000 residents live in the “small town” we thought we were moving to, and there are four- to six-lane roads to maneuver to get to any of the numerous shopping centers for supermarkets or any other place with which we need to do business. Thank goodness the roads and all the surrounding greenery are well taken care of and the traffic signals are well-organized, so Herb doesn't mind doing the driving. As for change in general, it's something everyone has to deal with whether staying in one place or moving to another. I have a friend in New Milford who still lives in the house where she was born, yet she's seen many changes over the years. Her quiet street has become a busy thoroughfare, and some of her property had to be sacrificed for widening of the street. She saw the town change from a place where everyone knew everyone else to a place where today she might go to the supermarket or to the Village Green and not see a familiar face. Seeing the demise of the local M&B IGA was also sad for her, although she realizes that nothing stays the same forever, and progress must go on. If the house or town we live in is not changed, just about everything else in our life is. Advances in technology alone sometimes make us feel that we can never keep up with all the new ways of dealing with everyday life. As we get older, our bodies change and don't respond or cooperate the way they once did, and there's not much we can do about it. Then there are the changes that take away our independence, like having to give up driving a car, or having to go to a nursing home. All change — whether it's by choice or not — takes a lot of adjustment, and the best we can do is to look for the positive side of it.  We have a Norman Vincent Peale magnet on our refrigerator that reads: “The secret of life isn't what happens to you but what you do with what happens to you.” -
A longtime New Milford resident, Terri Andersen moved from New Milford to North Carolina this fall. –