Our Own Backyards

I met the woman who would become my only legal spouse while living in Phoenix, Arizona, which was the metro area and state where she was born and raised. Unfortunately, not long after moving in together, I was laid off. After she agreed that she and her daughter would be coming with me, I accepted a job offer in Florida.

It was a long time ago, and we haven’t spoken in quite a while, so forgive me if the details are fuzzy. To the best of my recollection, we had somewhere between a handful of weeks and a few months to get to Florida. Or I did, anyway. So we began compiling checklists and wishlists of the things we needed to accomplish and wanted to do before leaving the state.

One of the first things she mentioned was wanting to go to the Grand Canyon. Of course, I remember thinking. One last visit to the place where I’m sure many formative childhood memories were born.

“Absolutely!” I said. “When was the last time you visited?”

“I’ve never been.”

An admission that stunned me. I have a much better grip on the hows and whys now. To include the fact that such a trip for a family of six might not have been the easiest thing in the world to pull off for a handful of reasons.

Granted, she was only in her early 20s at the time, but I remember thinking, how in the world could that be? How could somebody grow up with one of the great natural wonders of the world just a day trip away, and never set eyes on it? I now understand that that’s exactly why - because it was in her own backyard.

It’s easy to assume that the people, places, or things we know are there today will be there tomorrow. Especially if, for you, they’ve always been. And in some cases, like the Grand Canyon, they aren’t going anywhere. But what if tomorrow never comes? And what if we leave?

I certainly enjoyed exploring new places before gaining that perspective. As a young nomad not knowing exactly how long I was going to be hanging my hat somewhere, I was inclined to explore the space a bit. But ever since that revelation provided by my ex-wife, I’m rather hellbent on running around looking at any and all new environs I find myself in. Of course, a few life events along the way have helped me to understand the importance of never taking any time or place for granted.

And here’s something that’s happened without exception in every place that I have lived since Phoenix. I meet people born and raised there, and tell them about a cool place I saw or a thing I did a few miles down the road. And they tell me it’s something they’ve never seen or done, or sometimes didn’t even know existed.

I know it’s a bit of a platitude, but as stable as our lives may seem, they are still technically, wholly unpredictable. Circumstances and events can change a life, take it, or place it somewhere else in the blink of an eye. I know that things like time and money can hinder our want and ability to wander.

But while not all of us have the Grand Canyon lurking just over the horizon, there is magic and beauty to be found virtually everywhere that can be accessed or explored at almost any free moment. Places and things we should be exploring, beginning and ending with our own backyards.