Growing where you were planted?
A couple of years ago, I wrote about being surprised that 74.7 percent of American-born people who live in Massachusetts were born in Massachusetts. The comments that followed really called me on my naivety. It seemed obvious to some that Massachusetts-born made for a lot of Massachusetts-stayed. “Grow where you are planted” is alive and well here. (The entry predates the “great comment wipe-out.” So, so you can’t see the conversation anymore.)
I was reminded of that conversation by comments on Marcel’s thoughts about leaving Massachusetts. Artie and RedheadedJen both mentioned family ties as a reason to stay here.
artiefufkin wrote:
It's funny that this particular person is considering moving _away_ from MA to be closer to family. It's been my experience that family ties are usually one of the things that trap people in MA and the Northeast and prevent them from leaving (and since my wife and I have no family ties here, it makes us wonder why we stay sometimes)!
redheadedjen wrote:
I am trapped in MA due to sick parents. I grew up here and would love to move away, far away but can't in my heart do it.
Are you here because of family? Because of friends? Because of work? Why are you here and not Austin, and Athens, and Asheville, and Atlanta...
