Now the World Knows

Leaving has become my thing. For 27 years, I held a place dear. The people of Oklahoma, my family, and my friends meant everything to me. They were my whole world. Then, one day and seemingly out of the blue, I no longer saw myself in the flag of the place where I was born. For my mental health, I had to leave.

Seattle became the next place to hold dear. My first six months were not easy. More than once I thought to myself, you have made a tremendous mistake. Soon, I found my tribe, convinced another lost Oklahoman to make a dramatic change, came out, and then I fell in love. Then, one day and seemingly out of the blue, I found myself growing restless once again. Grasping at new opportunities, we chose to leave.

Los Angeles became the next place to hold dear. For two years, I was torn between the place I just left and where I found myself. Still, I plowed forward, dug into meaningful work, got involved, found a new group of friends, and became obsessed with a grand quest. Then, one day and seemingly out of the blue, I was back in Seattle in the middle of a global pandemic with no real options.

Seattle has once again become a place to hold dear. Knowing this, I am flooded with questions and no easy answers…

Has leaving become easy for me? Are the people in my life just placeholders? Should people be fearful of me leaving? Will I just…