© Ted Strutz
I took Mom and Dad to their favorite restaurant at the end of the pier. We ordered what we always order, creatures of habit and all that, and I admitted to myself I was going to miss it.
“I don’t know how to say this, but we’re moving away.”
“Moving? Tom, did you get another job?” It came as quite a shock to Mom.
“You’ve lived here all your life, son.”
“I know Dad, but it’s gotten so expensive. The cost of living here is out of control. I’m moving the family to Idaho. I promise we’ll visit often.
I wrote this for the Rochelle Wisoff-Fields flash fiction challenge. The idea is to use the image above to craft a piece of flash fiction no more than 100 words long. My word count is 99.
I feel I’ve written half a story. When I saw that the photo credit was Ted Strutz, I looked him up and found he lives in San Juan Island, Washington. I’ve read about how the exceptionally high cost of living in major western population centers such as Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco is driving people to other communities, including Boise and its suburbs. The story sort of put itself together after that, and an expanded version would probably tell a more complete tale.
To read other stories based on the prompt, visit InLinkz.com.
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Maybe they’re moving to escape the pending nuclear holocaust? Or maybe they just want to get away from the humdrum life. Either way, the moment is well-captured.
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Thanks. Among other places in the country, Southwestern Idaho seems to be a destination for folks trying to escape the urban mess some of the west coast has turned into. I know we moved here over 20 years ago when the closest drive-by shooting to our home in Southern California was just over a mile away. We didn’t want our kids to get killed. All in all, especially seeing how California seems to be imploding on so many levels, it was a pretty good move.
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Happens in most families.
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Rule number one: Never move just to follow your kids. Thanks, Dale.
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Dear James,
Nice slice of life, self-explanatory in and of itself.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks, Rochelle.
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Immaculate logic. The net is full of lists for best places to live or retire.
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Indeed. Of course, the consequences of so many people moving in to a “nice place,” is that they tend to mess up what’s nice about it. Thanks, yarnspinnerr.
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This could be situated in most big cities and coastal towns around the world. People who have grown up in an area forced to leave because they can no longer afford to live where they were born.
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Exactly, Iain. Thanks.
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I remember when we moved away from family. We were not popular (sigh)
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I grew up an Air Force Brat, so as a kid, we were moving all the time. I just kept going when I got old enough.
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Hubby was a forces brat and joined the RAF, but I didn’t know him then. He’s surprised himself by putting down roots with me, but we have moved around a little rather than stay on one place.
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Seems the only constant in life is change.
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Life is simultaneously simple and complicated. I need a nap.
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Difficult news to break but part of being a good parent is to let your children go when they are no longer children. Easier said than done, of course, but they sound like a close family.
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Thanks, Jilly.
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Looking forward to the other half of the story. 😊
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I actually wasn’t planning to expand this one, but thanks for the support.
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It does look like quite an expensive place to live 🙂 I hope Idaho isn’t too far away.
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Not really. I could drive to Seattle in about eight hours.
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If I drove for 8 hours I’d be in another country 🙂
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I think that would be fun, but then, different areas of the U.S. can seem like a different country. I’m mainly accustomed to the West, but those few times I’ve been down South have been something else.
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You’ve captured the narrator’s apprehension about telling his parents very well. And their reaction rings very true.
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Thanks, Penny.
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That is so sad but it happens a lot.
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Too true, Dawn. Thanks.
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Perhaps, the expense was taking the parents out to expensive restaurants. Fun read.
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Thanks, James. Nope (well, maybe part of it).
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‘Tis the transient nature of life i’m afraid!
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I think in a country the size of the U.S., periodic relocation is pretty expected.
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In the UK too, we move to the work
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Not an easy piece of news to break to the parents who will left behind.
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They can always visit.
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Yeah, I’m on the receiving end of that. It doesn’t make up for all the years of not seeing them, though.
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i’d been to boise. it would be a big change for him. there would be some adjustments, but i’m sure he’d fit in. as the sayings go, if you don’t like it, change your liking 🙂
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That’s true. Thanks.
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The way you wrote this is so believable. The voices so real. Unfortunately this is a true story for so many here.
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Thanks, Ted.
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I think this is scene that happens all the time… but maybe even more often from Idaho to some posh city.
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Actually, the direction seems to be from some posh city to Idaho, since a lot of our cities are becoming to expensive.
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Well-captured. The scene is very visual. Great job.
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Thanks.
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