The Pursuit of Happiness III...Location, Location, Location

I’ve talked a bit about things that seem to make people happy. I’ve covered the job, as well as the fun little hobbies that make the job seem worthwhile. I have yet to talk about the best place to pursue all this happiness.

No matter where you go, there you are. It would seem that one could be happy just about anywhere, given that logic. Not true. A devotee of the winter sports would find Del Rio, Texas to be something pretty close to hell on earth. On the other hand, they would probably love Nome, Alaska. So the place one calls home probably has as much to do with relative happiness as the job and the hobbies. Indeed, it might well be the most important factor of them all.

Since high school graduation, I have found myself living in cities. Understand that I grew up in a town of (at that time) around 5,000 people. Anything with a movie theater in it seemed like New York City, as far as I was concerned. So I’m not exactly what one would call a big-city sort of person.

Cities aren’t inherently evil, I suppose. On average, I think people probably have more economic opportunities in cities. There’s simply more people, who need more things. They need food, cars, shelter, tax write-offs, and lawyers. This generates all sorts of business, and that is a good thing.

There’s a ton of things to do in the city. Art and entertainment abound. There’s always a big show in town, or a game to go see. It doesn’t lack for activity 24 hours a day. This is also a good thing.

On the other hand, there are all these people to deal with. They jam the roads at the same time every morning, they bleat their horns like demented little sheep, and they jam themselves into small houses and apartments like sardines. They crash their cars, they shoot one another, they rob each other, and they generally act worse than animals.

Not that people don’t do this in small towns, mind you. It’s just a higher concentration of humanity all in one place in the city. The bad elements are a little higher per capita than they are in the small towns.

The cost of living is much higher in the city. Basically, cities are running out of room. Because of that, land in their borders is much more valuable. Compare the cost of a three bedroom house in Manhattan, as opposed to Seguin, Texas. Where is the consumer getting more for their money?

There’s a trade-off here, of course. As noted, one can probably make more money living in the city. Therefore, one can probably afford a better house, etc. However, there is a point of diminishing returns. Eventually, the cost of the items in the city surpasses the potential for income. Everybody tops out salary-wise somewhere. Even Bill Gates.

So where is the highest potential for happiness? Again, it depends on what the particular person wants out of life. I can only speak for myself, and I have found out a few things in the last couple of years.

First, I hate the city. There are too many other people here. I don’t like a lot of them. I can’t see stars at night. It is never silent here. There’s always traffic noise, airplane noise, neighbor noise, etc.

Traffic frustrates me, to no end. Lines in the grocery store hack me off. Movie theaters jammed with teenagers with no manners or consideration for fellow movie-goers bring out some pretty uncharitable thoughts. Everything is rushed, and everyone is in a hurry.

Second, I can do my job just about anywhere. If there are people, they are going to be in legal trouble of some sort. They’ll be divorcing, getting thrown in jail, buying property, or needing a will.

Third, maybe the money won’t be as good. Who knows, it could be better. However, I noted in my earlier posts on this subject that money is a poor substitute for happiness. Can it perhaps buy happiness? Nope. Money isn’t the primary motivator. I’ve seen where that can lead, at least for me.

I’ve turned down a job which would have probably earned me six figures. Granted, four of them followed a decimal point, but that’s not the issue here. The job would have required me to work about 60 hours per week, mandatory Saturdays, in the heart of the biggest city in the area, and doing nothing which even faintly resembles fun. It would have got me a nice BMW, which I could use to get back and forth to this job. It would have bought some nice clothes, which would have been used to dress up in to go to work. It would have bought a nicer house, which I probably would never see in the daylight. I would have represented some lovely banks and corporations, and done nothing remotely important.

I’ve been this route already. No more.

In light of this fact, I’m moving back to God’s Country. No more city life. One of the readers over the last couple of days remarked on how nice it would be to be a country lawyer. Well, we shall see how nice it is. I think it’s going to be all right. I’m heading for a small town, and going into business with a 60+ year old lawyer, who wants to groom somebody to take over his practice. We’re talking small town, here. No traffic jams. No lines in the store. Just a small general practice and the chance to do the rewarding stuff I mentioned in my post a couple of nights ago.

There’s a golf course where less than $200 per year buys all the golf one can stand. There’s land for $500 an acre or less. There’s family. There’s hunting. It’s the area where I grew up.

Don’t get me wrong; the city has plenty of attractions for some people. It just depends on what one wants out of life. This is all subjective, and we are talking about what seems to float my particular boat. I don’t need to be constantly surrounded by the stuff in a city anymore. I’ll be close enough that I can drive there if I need to, or want to. Which of course, I will. However, I can go months on end without going there at all, if necessary. I don’t even plan to live inside the town limits. If I can see a neighbor’s house, I’ll think the place is too crowded.

So happiness so far appears to be a rewarding job, fun things to do when I’m not working, and living in a place that’s not a huge city. There are three ingredients so far. I think there are a couple more worth mentioning, but those will have to wait for another time.