Transience
I was trying to activate a credit card and I faced a wall of security that I could not scale. One of the questions was who was my childhood friend? Would that be from age 4-8 in Texas? Age 8 in Delaware (for nine months)? Age 8 to 12 in Virginia? Age 12-18 in Derry?
I couldn’t answer the question. I hate when you have to pick security questions because I can usually think of multiple answers (what street did you grow up on). It seems sad to say I didn’t have a childhood friend that sticks out. I remember having friends everywhere I lived but, like my life itself, they were transient. I don’t know that childhood friendships are so tight that they are memorable decades later, particularly when you move from town to town.
I think moving frequently is challenging for an introvert like myself. But I also think the advantages outweigh the stability you get from growing up in one place. I guess I’m biased because I loved living in Derry as a teenager--obviously, given my return.
11-23