I had a message this week about someone I used to know slightly years ago. He had gone missing after leaving his home and wife for work one morning and not heard of again. Not a trace of him even with country wide police searches.
It was assumed he had an accident and his body never found.
But I've learnt recently that he had gone to Australia and started a new life.. stranger than fiction? Cruel I think, to leave someone and they always wonder what happened. How did he think his wife and family would cope. I didn't know him or his family that well. but if I had I think I'd have given him a piece of mind!
But one day I had an inkling as to what might have happened. I used to drive along lanes like these to work and on sunny mornings driving into the sunshine, I once had a feeling of driving and driving and driving, into the green leafy lane and escaping!! Where to? And where from?? Daft because I lived by myself, in my own beautiful house in the Essex town which I loved.
When I got home that night I phoned my best friend and after a long chat with her, I sat down and wrote my resignation letter!
I decided I'd down size... It wasn't an easy decision I earned a very good salary as Deputy, but I wasn't happy, so why was I doing something that was causing me stress. When I left that school I wasn't 60, so no retirement money and for a few months no wages. And living in a house, where one of my friends burst into tears when she saw it, because it did indeed look pretty awful compared to the big house I left. But it was a life saver for me and became beautiful; I was working within weeks and I slowly changed that house with my youngest son's help and after living there for 13 years it had tripled in price.
It was a lovely house and I loved it, probably because it didn't just give me a home, but healed my mind.
If you've ever felt like escaping from your life, you'll know how I felt that morning.
Chrisxx
Why do they always come to Australia, because it's so far away and so huge they think they'll never be found. Unfortunately your problems follow you wherever you go, and coming into summer Aus is whew so hot. So you transformed your house making it your own unique beautiful space and that's a much better way to defeat problems.
ReplyDeleteThat was a brave decision of yours to walk towards insecurity.
ReplyDeleteCruel of the man to just walk out, as you say; but I wonder what drove him to take such a drastic way out.
Yep, I think we have all at some point had that thought of walking away from it all, I know I have.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your insight on this post, it resonates with me and I cannot see a way forward. Jan in Castle Gresley
ReplyDeleteWe can never really walk in someone else's shoes can we. However each of
ReplyDeleteus has a journey to make and to improve our lives is what really matters. You
did obviously, with difficult choices. My life change was made without consulting me, as my job of 15 years disappeared with the advent of computers. But the idea is to make a better life.
Your way of escaping was so much better than the man you mentioned. He must have lost his mind to do that to his family. I guess it is easy to judge when you’re not in the situation.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent post. It is hard to change one’s life. To step away from something that is familiar but at the same time is no longer nurturing, fulfilling you. The unknown - what lies ahead is scary. You have to find yourself in a different setting, a different role. Jean in Canada
ReplyDeleteTwo fascinating stories but at least with yours we know the end and the why. Good for you taking matters into your own hands to improve the quality of your life.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post. I have 'escaped' my life on a couple of occasions, some would say on a whim, but it was always a whim that I instinctively knew was the right one. You did well to make such a huge change, we are all a lot stronger than we give ourselves credit for.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem like a cruel thing to just walk away and tell anyone, BUT everyone has a story!
ReplyDeleteYou had a lot of courage to sell your nice big house and buy a fixer-upper.
ReplyDelete