Come on, guys, this is Travis we're talking to. He's been waiting all summer for the snow to come, so he can ride his snowmobiles some more. Now it's finally arriving, but things are never as good or bad as we expect them to be, and while the woods may look like a wonderland, it still doesn't change the nature of existence...
Besides, Travis often gets crazy ideas that he entertains for a week or two before rationality returns. Remember the silage pile?
Travis, take it from me, who have lived in 14 cities on two continents: if you think changing places leads to a change in situation, you're misthinking. Whereever you go, there you are!
Dash Hammett had an interesting view on this one. He tells the story of a man who lived somewhere in Washington (Seattle, maybe?). He had a steady job, a wife and two kids. One day, he was walking down the sidewalk, and some workmen accidentally dropped a beam from the building they were working on. It *barely* missed him. The whole thing freaks him out, he decides to change his whole life, and he simply disappears. Years later, a detective hired by his wife finally tracks him down. And guess what he's doing? He's living in another city in Washington. He has a steady job, a wife, and two kids. Here's what Hammett has to say about him:
"He adjusted himself to beams falling, and then no more of them fell, and he adjusted himself to them not falling."
If you're interested, you can read the whole incident here:
http://www.newpartisan.com/home/hammetts-parable-of-the-falling-beams.html
The point is that nothing really changes, we all have to grapple with our own inner demons, and the big thing is to not to do anything hastily, and certainly not irrevocable. We will, all of us, feel better next week. Is there a point to anything? Of course not: we're all like Sisyphus, just rolling the rock up the hill. But there are small pleasant things along the way. When I woke up this morning, young James was tugging at the covers, saying "Dad, wake up, your coffee's ready." The smile on his face was worth all the indignities and frustrations I'll suffer today...
All this just to say: hang in there, Travis. It
will get better. Besides, what's in Oregon? Lots of trees, it's cold, and it's damp. But not cold enough, or damp enough, to produce much good snowmobiling...
Thanks,
Bill