northern lights

Marie Dixon

English/ Comp. I

Mr. S. Dalager

E4.1

April 10, 2007

Goodbye
California

            I was just getting things going my way. After a divorce and getting my son established in a public day care where I thought he would be safe. The business, House of Ideas, a print shop that I had opened for a wonder couple was starting to grow on its own. My job there was probably very secure and paid well too. My house was coming together; I could now afford to start getting some of the things we had waited along time for. Then within two months, I sold my things, quit my job, and left San Diego California for
Willow River Minnesota. What was I thinking?!!!

            When I grew up in
San Diego I felt safe, but 27 years later you weren’t safe just leaving school. One day I had to go get my son early from day care, and what did I see but some older children giving something to the smaller children as they were leaving. I thought; what’s going on here?  None of the adults around seemed alarmed. The teacher didn’t know anything when I asked her.  What would they have given my son if he would have been aloud come out that door alone?   That was the first reason for our move out of the big city for the simple country life in
Minnesota.

            The next reason for our exodus was the crime rate. I had seen my beautiful city go from a time and place where we never had to lock our doors. To a place where people were putting bars on their windows and doors along with locking their doors day and

night, just to get the illusion that they may be safe. Another thing that was popular at that time was child abduction, preferably little boys, that would be found dead a few days later somewhere in one of the undeveloped areas of the county. All these changes in less than 20 years, what would happen in another 20 years?

            Finally my whole family was leaving
California. My step-dad had lost his job, and when he came to visit his brother in Albert Lee, MN they went on a fishing trip in northern Minnesota and he bought a cabin in

Willow
River and was going to retire there.

            My sister and her husband were supposed to move to Illinois, but that didn’t work out for them so

Willow
River was their settling point also. I decided I was coming with them so I could raise my son in a safe place.

            It’s been almost 30 years not and I feel I still can’t say goodbye to
California. I still miss my beautiful ocean, the wonderful San Diego Zoo, the parks and museums.  I didn’t realize how hard it would be to get my city out of my heart.