Leaving Minnesota in 1977


Many times people have asked me why I went to Arizona when I was 19. And it's a reasonable question, since I knew nothing about the place, had never been there, and had no relatives there. But it really wasn't about going somewhere, it was about leaving somewhere. I'll see if I can explain.

When I was in high school, my best friend Big Dan, who had a car, would often stop by in the evenings. And as soon as he got there, we immediately wanted to leave. My mom would politely ask where we were going, and the answer was that we were going to visit another friend, which was perfectly true. It was perfectly boring, because we were good kids who didn't drink or smoke or do anything like that. And we would go over to another friend's house, pick them up, and we rarely did anything at all. We would sometimes go to Arby's, but that's about it. And as the time passed, we began the process of going back, and dropping everyone off, and Big Dan went home. And the reality was that we really hadn't gone anywhere, we had just left a lot of places.

This philosophy has meant a lot to me, and I know that it makes no sense to some people. For purposes of satisfying people's curiosity, I usually point to the fact (which is very true) that I hate snow and cold, and that's why I left Minneapolis to go to Phoenix. But I've always known that I would have left anywhere. I just like the concept of leaving.

I was making plans to leave home in my mid-teens. And although I knew nothing about Phoenix, I did know that it didn't snow there, which made it seem like a dream come true. Of course, anywhere with a warm climate would have worked for me, and I remember talking about Australia, and of course California, where I did live for several years. Until I left.

Because of my mindset, I've always worried about people who never left where they grew up. I've known people here in Arizona, and in California, who not only grew up there, but their parents did, and grandparents. For some people the generations that never left seem to go on forever. These are the locals who proudly point out that they're natives, while I wonder why they never had the urge to leave?

Nowadays, in my sixties, I have no plans to leave Arizona. In fact, I dig in my heels when anyone wants to imply that I could sell my house for the equity in it, and I say that I wanna stay here for the rest of my life. But as nice as my little house here in Glendale is, the moment I wake up I want to leave. If you ask me where I'm going, to be perfectly honest, it's right back here. I'm leaving, but I'll be back.

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