115th Edition
What if nobody ever moved?
Immigration is certainly a controversial issue today. I thought I would tackle it in this week’s edition. Here’s to hoping I don’t regret it.
My wife and I recently traveled across the pond, as they say, to spend a week in and around London. Everywhere we went, except one particular place (more on that later), we saw and heard people from all over the globe, representing different races, ethnicities, and religions. In my limited travels, I’ve never been to a more cosmopolitan city.
How many people do you know that still reside in the place in which they were born? What if nobody ever moved? What kind of world would it be if everyone remained in the village, or town, or city where they were born? Seems silly to even contemplate, doesn’t it?
I moved from my hometown when I went away to college, and I essentially never went back. In the last four decades the population of that small upstate New York town has fallen nearly 30%. People move away for different reasons. Better economic opportunities, improved weather, and lower taxes, to name three obvious ones.
When people move, they bring customs and cultures with them. But unfortunately, when the young move, they take with them energy and vitality that all communities need to thrive. Places, like my poor hometown, suffer from decay and stagnation, due to the absence of forward thinking and youthful enthusiasm that each new generation produces. This same process impacts entire countries.
But what if no one ever moved away? Each town or village would capture the energy and creativity, even the idealism, of youth. The resulting innovation and discovery would invariably translate into economic as well as social progress. Traditions would be preserved but also refined by the evolving education and experiences of the next generation.
If my other classmates and I had simply gone away to college but then returned to our hometown instead of moving away, as the vast majority have, would it still have suffered the same level of population decline and economic decay? Do we owe a sense of loyalty to where we were born and raised?
Perhaps all this is a chicken and the egg dilemma. Do towns, cities, and countries decline because the next generation moves away, or does the next generation move away because of local decline?
One day during our trip to London, we visited a place called Grafton Underwood, about an hour north of London. During WWII it was the home of the 384th Bomber Group of the Mighty 8th Air Force. My wife’s dad was a B17 pilot in the 384th. We met a couple who are working diligently to restore the base to its original condition. Over 4,000 air force personnel were stationed at this base during the war. B17s from Grafton Underwood flew the first and last bombing missions over occupied Europe during the war. Eighty years later, the locals still remember the sacrifice of those courageous airmen. Memories of the war and an enduring sense of gratitude have been ingrained into the culture of the community. The locals who have remained, carry on the legacy of remembrance and gratitude.
While we were in London, the Brits celebrated the 80th anniversary of VE Day. It still means a lot to the descendants of those who either lived through the war or served in the military during those dark years. Traditions like that are important to uphold. Moreover, by honoring past sacrifices, we reinforce a sense of gratitude, which can serve as a unifying force across generations. As I walked the streets of London on VE Day, I wondered how much of the invaluable lessons of WWII are known or remembered. Naturally, the memories of a person whose father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, served during the war would be different than those with no direct connection. It would be a shame if someday VE Day is not celebrated in London, or other locations like Normandy in France.
Doesn’t every town have something worth remembering and something for which to be grateful? What might that be where you were born and raised? What if we never moved away?
A big shout out to those who never left their hometown. Especially those who carry on the traditions to honor the memory of those long ago whose sacrifices and contributions we all benefit from today.
Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, stay tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks
Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.