To Be Honest, I Feel A Little Out of Place

The culture shock that comes with this move is out of the world at times. Moving from Coeur d’Alene, ID to Scottsdale, AZ is not as seamless as I would have thought. Having lived so many places, I figured that the transition to this area would be the same as any other place I’ve lived. New people, new faces, new house, but same ole routine.

I was trying to think today about why this move is effecting me more than moves have in the past. First, it’s hard to be apart from the one you love. Raquel is staying up in CDA until the end of April to pack up the house and work out the CDA office, training her replacement. Congrats to her for getting the job she has been striving for! There are definitely some big professional changes on the horizon – all of which we are beyond excited for.

But, on the other side of the coin, moving from the culture of a small lake resort town in North Idaho to one of the largest metro areas in the country has proven to be more of a societal eye opener than anything else. It seems as if the urban sprawl in this area has simply become a land grab to illustrate riches. The further away you get out of town, the more you establish your place in society. I was sitting at lunch today with a group from work and they were talking about how much this city has changed in the last two decades. Stock statements as in “I remember when Sun City didn’t even exist” et al.

It’s tough driving around in your beat up old Ford truck when you see cars worth more than what you’ve made in your entire life come flying by you. I feel, in this situation, there are two things that can be done:

1.) Conform.

2.) Categorically reject what you see around you and use it to reinforce the way you look at life.

The first choice is obviously the easy route. We see it everyday in fashion trends, popular music, and popular celebrities. Societal hive mentality exists. In our constantly changing cultural landscape, there is one new thing after the other. To totally reveal my Thursday night television viewing habits, Heidi Klum delivers the best punch line: “One day you’re in, the next day you’re out.”

The second is harder because it involves actively rejecting several of the concepts thrown in our face daily through the mass media. It seems that there is not enough emphasis on simply being a good person these days. On making sure that the effects of your decisions impact other people in the same way that you would want to impact you. Not enough of a social conscious – or looking out for the person next to you. When it all comes down to it – isn’t that the most important concept?

P.S. – I heard the best term today. For those of you who haven’t been to Old Town Scottsdale, there is a lot of douchebaggery afoot. Ed Hardy and Affliction shirts as far as the eye can see. Steroid infused arms everywhere. In other words, the hours of 9 PM to 2 AM are prime peacock observing hours in Old Town. One of the guys I work with referred to several of the guys in Old Town as “$30k Millionaires” because they make a paltry salary, yet pour it all into their outward appearances (cars, clothes, accessories, etc.) And people wonder why the banks don’t give anyone credit these days.