I've been thinking about why I live in Snowflake, Arizona and I'm reminded of the things that first brought me here. One day while living in Phoenix, AZ, where I had lived for 18 years. I was traveling home and ran into road construction. It was 115 degrees the air conditioning had broken and needed repair. Of course it was a timing thing. Have the car in the shop to get the air fixed or have the car to get to work. As I sat sweating profusely, tired and stressed I decided this would be the straw that broke the camels back. I went home and told the wife it was time to make a five year plan. A plan to get the hell out of dodge. We made it in three.
I had decided that we were being manipulated by forces we could not control. As I explained to the wife it's a trap, they want us to be in debit and paying interest to bankers for everything we were in the process of owning. They (who ever they are) want us to have a mortgage, a couple of cars, credit cards, paying interest on all of them. I decided if we could get out of the rat race and get out of debit, every dime we saved on interest was equal to making that much money or at least not having to work for that money. I knew that my ability to earn a larger income in the city would be diminished by moving to a rural area. But after 50,60,70 hour weeks and tons of stress the peace of mind would be a fair trade off. Not to mention the other great things associated with rural life.
This example is something most of you city dwellers will appreciate. I had been used to traveling to 51st Ave and Indian School to wait in line at the MVD, for several hours at which point I received a piece of paper work I could take with me to the freeway and if I remember right Bethany Home Rd., where I could get emmissions testing ( last time I was by this location it appeared to have evolved, into a porn shop). If I were lucky the car passed, and I could then return to 51st Ave & Indian School and get back in line for my tags (I should say this was 1986). When I moved to Snowflake, AZ in the Arizona White Mountains I walked into the county building and there were three women behind a very long counter, with no one waiting there but me. A nice young lady stood up and ask if she could help me. Short story short, I was done getting my new tags in less than 10 minutes. I knew right then I was going to love it here.
I believed and soon confirmed that a little less income would be off set by a lower cost of living. My auto insurance was less because there are fewer nuts trying to kill you up here. Property taxes were lower a $60.00 power bill and there were entertainment options that did not cost money. The great outdoors the yearly parades and celebrations in both Snowflake & Taylor. Living in Phoenix for 18 years I knew my neighbors on either side and had a half dozen friends that really mattered. In Snowflake I found time to be a friend and enjoy friendships. At one time I could go into a restaurant shake hands and call by name everyone there. In Phoenix there are lots of entertainment options, but I had long since given up enjoying those types of thing, because between the stressful job, heat and the traffic it was just not worth the trouble. Now I travel to Phoenix and enjoy the things I did not have time to enjoy while I was living there. Then I return to the cool White Mountains and live the rest of the time in peace.
Today I enjoy a modest home on a large parcel, with no one looking over my back fence or telling me when to bring in my garbage can, what color to paint my house etc. I can shot my guns in my own back yard or take the quad out of the driveway into the open range. In the spring I love to watch all the trees & fields turn green, and for several days now I have been loving the cool monsoon rains and taking the great grandson out to the garden every evening to see how much it is liking the rain. With a private well and a large water aquifer, I sure feel better about my ability to survive as those in the current administration try to ruin life as we have know it.
I sometimes get busy with my Real Estate Company and forget how blessed I am to be living here, so I hope you enjoyed me reminding myself of the things I have to be thankful for! If you want to see what I'm talking about just go to my website www.integrityrealty.net and hit Tour of Snowflake on the left hand side.
Joel Lawson
Owner/Broker
Integrity Realty & Assoc, L.L.C.
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