[Erwin_Br]

Originally Posted by Once A Villain

For some reason this made me think of my friend in San Diego, California. It's off subject but oh well... He can't afford a house out there, so he's throwing away his money every month on an apartment he can never own. He just got a raise, and he's making what sounds like good money, but given the cost of living out there it's really not.

So then I ask him, "Why are you in California? I used to live there man. The reason I don't anymore is because I can get everything California has to offer in other states, and I don't have to pawn off my right leg to afford it." He says, "Oh, Texas offers mountains and beautiful beaches?" This was actually what I was setting him up to say. Whenever someone from California pulls out the "mountains and beaches" card, I always ask, "How often do you go driving or hiking up mountain trails? How often do you really go to the beach? Honestly, how often are you really getting use out of the very things you claim make your state worth living in? And then you tell me if it's worth not being able to afford anything there." Some people could answer "yes" to this, but that person is rare. My friend can't say yes because I happen to know for a fact he doesn't even like salt water and NEVER goes into the mountains... At least if he had said "climate", he would have ONE decent point, but I happen to like the extremes myself...really hot summers and really cold winters.

I didn't mean to bring this up out of nowhere, but your comment made me remember all this... Who continues to pay bills for services they are no longer getting? Or what about those restaurants where the food sucks but you pay a lot for the "atmosphere". This, to me, is the same concept. If you aren't getting any real use out of what you are paying for, then go somewhere where you aren't expected to pay for those things. A lot of people do pay more than they need to pay to get by, living out on the coasts, and then bitch and moan about how the world is cruel... My buddy is one of them. He won't even listen to my favorite claim (which is totally true by the way): "The women are hotter here!"

You don't really need to sit on the beach or take a hike through the mountains to enjoy it, you know. You can enjoy the scenery every day. You're driving through the hills and alongside the coastline every day on your way to work, for example. Or you can see it when you look out the window. So, I can imagine someone who likes beaches and mountains wouldn't be happy living in, for example, a desert. You say you don't care to pay for atmosphere, but I think the area in which you have to spend your life can't be compared to the interior design of a restaurant.

--Erwin