In several years of managing this building, I often hear people saying to me "when I sell my house, I'm moving to the city to be near my kids."
I am also an older man with a house in Wynyard and family in and near the city.
Facing decisions about what to do as I age, we have had those conversations and, much as I love my family, my decision is to stay in Wynyard where everything is familiar.
We have lots of housing here, good medical care and all the business services that I need.
I think familiarity is more important as I age than being closer to my family. They are all busy with their lives and probably won't have extra time for me anyway.
I often think about a story told to me by a friend who is a Catholic priest.
In a previous parish, he knew a couple who retired and moved from their small town to the city "to be near their kids".
They found that everything in their new city was too unfamiliar, they couldn't find new friends and the kids didn't have more time for them.
They were back in their small town in three years!
I'm staying here.
Jim