You Need This..or Do You?

While cycling on the Sawmill Branch Trail the other day, I was taking in my crazy luck at having access to such a beautiful area. The trail is nestled in the town of Summerville, South Carolina, allowing all residents—and non-residents, really—access to a lush, green-lined waterway, parts of which are reminiscent of trails in the Poconos of Pennsylvania, one of my favorite hiking/biking destinations. During this time of year, young herons can be seen padding along the waterway, basking on the sunny banks or low-flying to the other side to escape passersby.

Summerville has always been one of my favorite towns in the area, a quaint city with beautiful parks and a small-town feel, close enough to Charleston to enjoy its positives.    The historic homes flank a downtown area with small businesses, a Saturday farmer’s market, and multiple festivals throughout the year, including a Third Thursday celebration each month.  We purchased our home five years before my husband retired from the military, planning on spending the rest of our days here.

Unfortunately, Summerville has fallen into the age-old trap of not knowing how much is enough.  Whether through poor planning or overly aggressive development, the town has lost sight of what made Summerville charming.  It reminds me of the Joni Mitchell song, “Big Yellow Taxi,” where she sings, “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”  There’s much to be heeded in that line.  Summerville is presently considering extending Berlin G. Myers, a highway, through the trail to alleviate traffic.  The town has grown to the extent that traffic, once minimal, has grown exponentially, creating bottlenecks and congestion throughout the area.  Destroying the trail would forever negatively change our town; Summerville has yet to understand when enough is enough.

We all face this dilemma at least once in our lives, usually multiple times.  Is our home big enough?  Should we buy a nicer car?  Are we making enough money?  The list extends about as far as we’re willing to let it.  There’s plenty of bait out there to make us feel like we need more, so being lured into believing we’re lacking is understandable.  The question remains one of complacency—not necessarily with having a substandard choice, but more of a decision based on whether or not the choice will make a more than negligibly positive difference.

When discussing professions with our children, we stressed choosing a career that would give them purpose while making enough money to support themselves.  How much money they required to back their lifestyles was completely dependent on them.  Sometimes, as adults, we forget the valuable advice we dole out😊, choosing to chase the proverbial carrot, even to our detriment.

In times like these, during COVID-19, we’re reminded of how little we really need; we’ve been able to focus more on those things we value…the company of family and friends, leisurely conversations, simple activities done with those we enjoy. Let’s hope this lasts, this consciousness of how much is enough.

Quote of the Day:

I’m too busy working on my own grass to notice if yours is greener.