MASSive benefits

I've always thought that one of the worst traits people so often have is not appreciating their good fortune.  Whether it's good health, a roof over your head, your family members, or any other assorted thing you might take for granted, it's always nice to have a reminder of your blessings and we all need that sometimes.

So I wasn't really aware I needed one of those reminders but actually, I did and it was a long time coming.  I'll admit I'm the first to complain about Massachusetts.  I've got a laundry list a mile long of reasons to be unhappy here.  The cost of living, the taxes, the traffic, the corrupt politicians who keep winding up back in office no matter what they do.  It's not always the easiest place to live and it costs a bloody fortune compared to a lot of other pretty decent places.  And then there's the weather; I'm not a hearty soul when it comes to winter and frankly, I loathe snow and have ever since I was old enough to realize that driving in it is purely awful and unlike when you're a kid in school, work rarely allows for "snow days".  The older I get, the more it seems the summers are too muggy, the spring and fall are lovely but too short.  And then there's the deer ticks and triple E that aren't found as much in other places and really freak me out, adding to my curiosity about living in other places that don't have such things.  If anyone confronted me about why I stay during one of my grumpathons, I would have said I didn't really know.  I've always lived here pretty much.  My family is here.  My life is here. 

Just imagine my delight to have a huge wakeup call about this incredible place I live recently.  My brother and sister in law arrived here from Columbus, Ohio last week and very quickly opened my jaded eyes to all that I was forgetting.  When they first emerged from that arduous 12 hours of highways and little else, they commented on how charming my town of Bridgewater seemed.  Really?  I had to think about it because it's pretty similar to most of the smaller towns on the South Shore.  They said they loved the architecture and the town green.  I thought about it and agreed.  Yes, I guess it is pretty cute in a lot of ways.

The next day, we headed for Falmouth and that really knocked their socks off.  Between the adorable shops and homes of Main Street and of course the stunning ocean views from Surf Drive, they couldn't get enough.  We then drove to Woods Hole and on the way they were tickled pink to see a bona-fide working lighthouse.  I've seen so many in my life, I had never thought about how neat that would be if you'd never seen one before.  At dinner that night, they reveled in the fresh seafood and said they had never tasted anything like it.  I have fresh clam chowder once a month.  I can't imagine it not being fresh. 

The next day my husband took them to Salem for a different take on some local culture.  Aside from all the campy ghoulishness there, a fascinating and tragic history came to life and was a reminder of all they read in their early American history lessons.  They loved it.  The day after that, we headed to Newport so they could see how the other half lives in those summer "cottages".  And finally, we headed to Boston.  Realizing they were walking past the grave of Paul Revere, the Meeting House of all those revolutionary heroes, and of course the hometown of some of the greatest sports teams this country has seen, they were mightily impressed.

While they loved everything they saw, I sadly realized (for them) that a week wasn't even close to enough time for all that we have to offer here.  We never got to Plymouth, just 10 miles from our home.  They wanted to see Martha's Vineyard but we didn't have the time.  We would have loved to have taken them to the Berkshires to see the glorious rolling hills and country side of the state.  And though they were interested in seeing Harvard Yard, we ran out of time for that too. It wasn't until they left that it occurred to me that we could have driven them to Maine, Vermont or New Hampshire in a morning ride give or take. 

One comment they continuously made was how amazed they were at all you could see in less than an hour's drive.  Truthfully, Falmouth is less than an hour for us and some places we went were a bit more but when you live in a large state like Ohio, you just aren't used to that close proximity and a few more minutes to here or there is nothing.  In their neck of the woods, "everywhere" is a far drive and that goes for most of the states in the Union. 

In our conversations with them about living here, we never even touched on the world class hospitals, the prevalence of famous colleges, some of them Ivy League and the famous private schools to boot.  We barely mentioned all the sports championships, the history pre-dating the revolutionaries and even the witch trials.  They never saw any of our world renowned museums or the aquarium. I'm sure they could have spent a month here and not seen all the wonderful things there are to see.

I was born here and raised here.  I've spent almost my whole adult life here aside from a few temporary stints in other states.  I've traveled extensively and always wondered what it would be like to live somewhere else.  But I really had an awakening last week and it made me feel good.  Massachusetts is not a perfect place to live but for so many reasons, it's a great place to live.  I knew that.  I just needed a reminder.  And now if someone asks, I'll give them a long list of the natural beauty, the history, the culture and so much more.  Sometimes seeing things through the eyes of someone else is the best way to appreciate what you have.