My View – August 2021
It happened again. This column took a sharp turn as I was polishing-up a completely different piece, and was unexpectedly but pleasantly interrupted at the office. As my hands were pecking away on home row, two friendly-looking un-face-masked faces (and their dog) peered inside my open office door. “Do you have a minute to talk?” Around here, this happens almost daily so I welcomed them in and gestured for them to take a seat at the big boss desk. I smiled when I noticed they had a copy of the Review in-hand!
“So,” the duo chimed-in in stereo, “what’s it really like living in a small town…is Jacksonville really as nice a place as you make it out to be…it really can’t be like the Review claims, can it?” Since this line of questioning is normal for me, I took it in stride and did what I always do by responding, “Where are you visiting from?” Turns out, they were from Southern California (surprise)—not far from where I grew up in Ventura County and where I still have family.
During our back and forth, I learned they were considering moving here (no surprise)—taking early retirement and that they were: over the traffic and congestion, delighted by how much their home is worth down south but shocked by Jacksonville’s increasing real estate prices, itching to get involved with volunteer work, intrigued that a town the size of Jacksonville’s had the Britt Festival, impressed by our trail system along with loving the local, small town vibe and the overall easy-going feel that had enveloped them during their stay. It was quite the download for such a brief visit.
For the umpteenth time, I realized that as locals, we take a lot for granted living and working here—and yes, I know I talk about this often in this column. Because of its historic charm, slower pace, immersion in a natural setting, low crime rate, and for many other reasons, Jacksonville is attracting more people who want to make it their home.
As my new-found friends were leaving, I wished them well and thanked them for stopping-by and discovering more about Our Small Town with Big Atmosphere!