Displaced = put out of its usual place, position, or relationship

Usual.

I moved to Michigan in June 2007. I always considered myself a foreigner because I did not want to become a ‘Mid-Westerner’. I did not switch my area code from 804 to 586. I refused to embrace the niceness in the air and the humility of people I met here. I chose not to recognize the potential in this town, the richness in its culture and the grandeur in its history. I treated Michigan like it was a temporary adjustment and never home.

But then, in a few months, home happened. I married ‘usual’ and ‘michigan’ together and I settled in. I knew the faces I nodded at everyday, I was comforted by the familiarity in streets, I knew just how many Starbucks cafes were there on what intersections, I smiled at the voices I heard everyday and I gave in my hesitation to become a ‘Mid-Westerner’.

While I played hide and seek with the Michigan’s Economy, it finally caught up and found me. I gave in a plastic white badge; the size of a cigarette pack but what I handed over was more than just my monthly allowances. With it, I was letting go off some great mentors, some warmth, some friendships, some great work and some delicious cookies.

I gave up my usual.

Today, I march out into the unknown with a better perspective and a semi-loaded resume. And I am not so worried about the usual anymore as much as the unusual that happened to me. The people. Every single one of them. Offering me good advice and a whole lot of wishes. Willing to trade their smiles for my worries. Knowing that I will find home. Soon. Somewhere. Soon.

So really, being Displaced today means being out of my usual place and positions but I know I will take these relationships with me, wherever I shall go.

Displaced = put out of its usual place, position, or relationship

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