On Redmond (or, There are Giants in the Land)

Some quick facts on Redmond for you, courtesy of (what else?) Wikipedia. It is a suburb of Seattle located across Lake Washington from the Emerald City. The population is around 46,000, as is the price of the average car. As "the bicycle capital of the Northwest" (and I think that's saying something), Redmond has bike trails all over the city and also has the state's only velodrome (I've just learned recently that a velodrome is a bike racing track with inclined corners like an F1 race track). The East Lake Washington school district had four entries in the 2006 ranking of top high schools in the country, and in Redmond, there is actually an Albert Einstein Elementary School. Doesn't Jimmy Neutron or somebody go to Einstein Elementary? Help me out here, someone. Redmond also has 23 public parks totaling over one thousand acres, including 17 miles of trails for biking, hiking, and horseback riding, which is not bad for the size of its population. You can read the whole article here. The point is, by pretty much all of the common statistical measures of desirability, Redmond is a pretty sweet place to live.

But life isn't run by statistics, not really, so there are things that we're excited about in heading to Redmond and things that are a little less desirable. Obviously, if the pros didn't far outweigh the cons, we wouldn't be going there, job or no job, but we still have to be realistic.

First of all, the crime rate in Redmond is famously low. It's a very safe city, and the legendary status of the Seattle area as an ideal place to raise a family is still pretty accurate. The schools are amazing. The climate, no matter what anyone tells you, is pretty awesome. (Grey a lot, rainy for a portion of the year, paradise most of the time.) All of that sort of general things. As for our place specifically, there are a lot of things that we really like. It's right across the street from Marymoor Park, which is 540 acres of fun. They have a big amphitheater there, the bike track, a free climbing wall, wifi coverage, baseball fields, cricket fields, all of that stuff. Plus, you know, trees and grass and everything. We're also just over a mile from work, and there are bike paths the whole way, so I've posted my car on Craigslist, and the first potential buyer is on the way over tomorrow morning to look at it. We'll keep Kirsten's, but just getting the chance to slim down and simplify by getting rid of one of the cars (and its monthly payment!) is a breath of fresh air. We also live a few hundred feet from a Chipotle, a Whole Foods, and the Brown Bear Car Wash, for whose logo I will unashamedly use the word "cute." Beyond that, ten minutes' drive will get us to anything we need. Groceries, a really nice library, bagels, a cool outdoor mall, etc. Plus the easy proximity to Seattle. So yes, the word is Location. And the public transit is extensive, clean, and cheap. I could go on and on, but it would just be babbling. Redmond is a nice place to live.

At the same time, though, there are drawback or difficulties, both practical and intangible. First of all, like any city that booms pretty suddenly, there's a whole lot of traffic around Redmond. It's a strange city for us, and we don't know how to get around very well or what the best things are to do, and when you add crazy traffic to that, it makes the adjustment that much more difficult. We also know Meghan and Ryan, who are really cool, and no one else. It's not like you usually get a break knowing everyone in a place before you live there, but that's still another thing that will give us a challenge when we get there. Meghan and Ryan are great, but it's not like they're going to be around every minute of the day, so we'll have to make some more new friends.

The bigger issue that we'll have to come to grips with, though, is that Redmond, no matter how you slice it, is a yuppie town. The median income is in the 70's, I think, and there are European luxury cars every time you turn around. New housing boasts "From the low millions!" as a selling point, and apartments commonly go for upwards of two dollars per square foot. It's not that I'm opposed to living with wealth around me, and I'm certainly not jealous. I have a salary that pays our bills and still makes us live on a budget and watch where we spend money, and I'm fine with that. Living in an affluent place brings up a lot of complicated thoughts, though.

I don't want to be a yuppie. If I end up doing well in my job and getting raises and making a nice salary, that's fine, but I don't want to be eaten by my career, either. I'll work 40 or 45 hours a week, maybe 50 in an occasional week when there's a lot that needs to be done, but I refuse to sell my soul. I'll have a family at some point, and I'm not going to abandon them. And after the job, I'm still going to be surrounded by a lot of people who have no grounding whatsoever in reality. (I don't mean all wealthy people. I'm just saying that it's easier to be a snooty rich person when you're rich.) I don't want to be in a position where I never have a chance to touch the lives of people who are needy and troubled and desperate. I believe in vulnerable, authentic community. I believe that anyone who says that they believe in Jesus and all that He lived and taught is either willing to get their hands dirty and be His hands or is delusional. Given the choice, I'd rather live across the street from someone who's desperately trying to get over their addictions and fix their ruined life than someone who's never known a truly difficult life. This all means cultivating a life of attentiveness and diligence. There are needs everywhere, and people that are hurting. It's just a lot easier to ignore them and stay put when "the bubble" is staring you in the face. It's so clear that God worked all of this out, getting us to Washington, giving me the right thing to say in an interview, giving me a great job that pays just enough, giving us a place to live... We're so excited knowing that He has very big reasons for all of that. It will just have to be a daily discipline to walk it out every day and not just say that I believe in it.

Another challenge that comes with living in a boom town is that it will sometimes be difficult for me, personally, to be accepting of everyone. It's an ideal of mine to love everyone, but I'll be honest: I'm too critical a lot of times, especially if I think someone is pretentious or conceited. I know that rich people are just as lonely and in need of real community anyone, but I think I have the tendency to leave that to someone else sometimes. I wish this wasn't a part of who I am, but I'm afraid it is. And really, if the lifestyles of some of the people Jesus encountered didn't lead Him to write them off, where on earth do I get the right to dismiss anyone out of hand? I usually assume the best about anyone, but if there's one thing I can't stand, it's snootiness. That does not give me the right to assume the worst, period. It's easy to vilify anyone that you don't see eye to eye with, but it doesn't make it right. So keep me accountable on this, won't you? I have no idea what it will mean, practically, to keep me accountable, but I'll let you all brainstorm.

At the end of the day, the question has to arise: "Kent, you used to be so punk rock. You used to stick it to the man at every opportunity. You were an archetype of the modern revolutionary. And now this?" (There may be variations.) Don't think it hasn't played across my mind like a Vegas marquee ever since I first entertained the thought of moving out here. Why live where there's traffic? Why work for The Man as just another workforce sheep? Why live in such a complicated place? Why not just keep it simple, be free from corporate monsters, and run a bakery or something? Or, worst of all, why not be a writer like you always wanted to be? Well, I can't say I have the conclusive and comprehensive answer for all of that. I can say, and call it a cop-out if you want, that I have prayed my way here and believe with all of my heart that God has taken us exactly where we're supposed to be. I can tell you that I still want to be a writer, and I still will be. I can also tell you that while it's easy to champion folks who find a creative way to start a family and break free of all that modern culture dictates at the same time, that doesn't make their actions morally superior. When I was 16, I wouldn't have listened to what I'm saying now, and I can tell you that my heart wants to explore its angst over growing up and see what's valid instead of just dropping the issue altogether. Most of all, I guess I can say that it's not all fun and roses, and it's not easy in some ways, but that I don't regret taking the steps that have brought me here. It's just something new, and just like any other time of my life, I have to decide every day to make the most of it and leave a trail of improvements in every area I touch. I guess in that sense, it's no new challenge at all. I'll do my best to keep you informed along the way.

Thanks for reading, and I'm sorry for the length. I'll get some more pictures soon, and more great reporting. Stay tuned.

Kent