Heading Home
We are blessed people, Kathy and me.
Our visit back to Oregon has been great.
We got to meet up with so many of you, some pictured here, others not.
Many of you commented to us about how you are following, watching and listening to our journey.
You don’t know how encouraging that is.
We know why we left.
We know Oregon is no longer our home.
We miss you but love our new life too.
This trip reminds us, we no longer live here and that is good.
When you live day to day, brush your teeth, get up and get dressed and do the monotonous tasks of everyday living, you forget how much courage you have when it comes to change.
You get lazy and get by.
Well that doesn’t work does it?
And we are all starting to figure that out, thank God!
It is good to come back and see that Oregon too changed over the past eight months.
We saw new developments, changes in attitude and we saw some of the same “old attitudes” that pushed us to leave.
I think November will be a defining moment for all of us but especially places like Oregon.
I heard friends on the left, right and middle frustrated enough to stand up against the ridiculousness that runs deep in Oregon politics.
People who once just wanted to get it over with, get along and not pay attention understand ignorance and ignoring is no longer an option.
Oregon is such a great place, a place that lost its way but I think is beginning to see through the “fog and feel good” but most importantly, ready to make changes desperately needed.
We got caught up in the feel good and lost our common sense.
I will be watching election returns for Oregon more than my own state of Montana, at least this election cycle.
What we realize is we have so many like-minded friends here and we pray each day that a more moderate voice erupts in Oregon again.
I hope Oregon can get back to doing what’s right for everyone not just those with the “tickle me Elmo” message of the hour.
We are not sad that we left, this is the journey we are on, designed by God and followed by many.
We are not running away from anything but running to something new.
The decisions we make this November (not just Oregon) will be life changing.
Our economy is in the toilet, we are in a recession despite what some would like us to believe (smoke and mirrors) and only “we the people” can take the steps to get us out of it.
It takes courage to go against the grain.
It takes strength to stand up to the loud mouths and state your opinion and push until it is considered and listened to.
But Oregonians are deep down, rugged individualists.
I think the rugged got temporarily lost in comfort and apathy.
But we are no longer comfortable and apathy is seen as the enemy it is.
But from what I heard on this trip, rugged Oregonians are making a comeback.
They will not put up with the bullies and tactics used to get our attention off the real issues.
You got this Oregon.
Don’t give in.
The more push back you get the more change is coming.
I am so excited to see what you do.
Rick, I think that keeping tabs on those still in Oregon is important to those of us that left. It keeps you focused on moving forward and reinforces the decision to change the journey, hopefully for the better but definitely changed.
Some folks that move on keep their old perspectives and try and change the new locations views to theirs instead of vice versa.
Keep moving forward!