Roots Unknown

I have been listening recently to this awesome song called “Hometown” by Phil Wickham. It has a lot going to for it, and you should take a listen. But the idea is that the singer is proud of their hometown and how all around them they can see and feel the presence of God. I have really been belting it out lately while in the car, but it really got me thinking. Where is my hometown? Where is your hometown? And for us that don’t know the answer to that question, what does it mean to have a hometown? What is the actual definition of hometown?

For Phil the answer is easy. He grew up in the same town. He now lives in that same town. His family is being raised in that town. He has built memory after memory in that town. He knows all the roads, the best surf spots, the best parks to take his kids, and everything that comes with staying in one place for a long time. That is not the same for me. Not that I didn’t want it to be. I don’t even know that my parents intended for me to not know where my hometown is, but it just happened. And now, I am doing it to my kids.

You see throughout my life I have lived in a lot of different places. I have lived in a lot of different cities, a lot of different homes, and been to a lot of different places. When I started to think about how long I have lived at the places I have lived, and I don’t know that one really stands out above the other ones. To put this in perspective, I am 37 years old, and I have lived in fifteen different cities and twenty different homes. So, what place would I call my home? Where would I consider my hometown?

As I am thinking about this, then I started thinking about my own kids. I have moved them around a lot also. They have lived in 5-7 cities and about ten homes. Do they have a hometown? A place that they would call their own? If so, awesome. If not, uh oh. Or is it an uh oh? I am not sure that I am convinced. But one thing that I did promise my wife when we made this last move was that this one was it. That we were not going to go anywhere else while our kids are still in the home. That we would be here and that we would put our roots down. I have not always held to my word with this because this is something I said in the last house we lived in. And here we are, moved again. But I wanted to talk through some of the things that I feel like I have missed out on because I have moved so much and have not actually gotten to find my “hometown”.

The first thing that has been hard to do is to build deeply rooted relationships. I do feel like I have people in my life that my roots have gone deep with, but not as many as I would if I would have stayed somewhere for longer. It often seems once you get close to people or start to really allow your roots to grow, then you move, and they are gone. You try to keep those relationships intact through long distance, but often times it doesn’t work out. Each person finds new people that are closer and more available to carry on that relationship. This has been really difficult for my wife who stayed at home, and really didn’t have the option to meet people outside of the home as much. So, one thing that we have missed out on is deep relationships.

The next thing that I am noticing lately is local fandom. I used to be a fan of specific things in a town that we lived in. I was digging my roots in. Following their local teams, learning the local cuisine, and starting to make the cities culture my own. And then we moved. Because of this, I am an outsider for local sports teams, I am a newbie and eat at a lot of chains in town, and I don’t quite understand the local culture yet. Will I one day? Maybe so, unless I move. But you often feel like an outsider if the things you are into are not ones that are local or by you. It seems as you are always talking to people about things of the past or things from far away. Most don’t know the places you are talking about or share the same passion that you do about those teams you like. So, because of the moves, I don’t have any local fandom.

And the last thing is establishing a home and consistency for my family. My kids have often been the new kids in school. They are often having to have new coaches, learn new schools, establish themselves in their sports and communities. They have told me that they don’t feel as connected with their friends, and sometimes are nervous about getting close because they may have to move again. They are sometimes torn where they want to be. They want to be back where we were, but also don’t want to hate where they are at. Though kids are very malleable, they are also little humans that have feelings and needs also. And when I move so much, they miss out too.

Over the years, I have considered this adventure. Moving to a new place, learning a new culture, and starting all over again. But what I am noticing this move, is that I am desiring a “home” more than ever. I am looking for that place that I can just call my own. Can I still adventure there? You bet! You can I still adventure from there? Yeah! But at the end of the day, I really want my own home base. The place that I can go back to. That I know all about it.

So, this is it. There is where I will be. I will be in this home. The one with the right number of rooms. The decent size, on the right street, next to the right schools, and near the thing I love the most, the ocean. So, as you read my stories, and listen to how I am adventuring, just know that I have found my home. That this is my hometown. I am going to let my kids grow up here and put down roots. I will be here for my wife, for my community, for my church, for my friends, and for the next generation that would come through these streets. So, I will sing that song “Hometown” LOUD! As it goes, “Coffee shops become cathedrals, living rooms are holy ground. Everywhere I turn I see you. Right here in my hometown”! If you are out there and adventuring, make sure you are doing it in love. If you are in your hometown, be the example of love. Be the local guide that shows others how to adventure right where you are at. And treasure the place that you are at. Until next time, I hope you get to Adventure Often and remember to Love Always!