Sunday Night With John: Never Have I Ever...

Never Have I Ever…

John Paul Derryberry

Never have I ever thought I would live in Mason City, Iowa. Yet here I am, three weeks away from relocating the family from Iowa City to Mason City. Mason City is a beautiful town, rich with history, architectural marvels, and a small-time vibe anyone can get behind. So this isn't about the shock of relocating, it's about what we are open to in life.  It's about how so many of us stubbornly cut off life experiences because we think we know better. Life's unseen twists frequently are the best things to happen to us. 

I distinctly remember living in Orwell, Ohio, as a young teen, thinking that the world was so big. I thought that I would have to discover other places, people, and chase stories to cherish that I could share late in life with the grandkids. I remember meeting Jovaughn in Davenport, Iowa, my first-year of college. He was from the Virgin Islands but was going to school in Davenport. I was in shock; I had a friend from the Virgin Islands! It was a life-altering expansion of the prism I viewed people through.  The questions that came: what's it like growing up in paradise, and why Iowa, to name two.

That was the moment I promised that I would embrace curiosity, not the age-old adage, "This is the way we've always done things."   Some years, I have lived up to this mantra better than others. I can be stubborn and drag my feet when it comes to change. I have learned that I'm more stubborn when it's not my idea for the change to occur, and I think that is true for most people. We tend to like to be the captains of our lives. 

So it's with open arms that I move to Mason City and all the change that will bring. It once was the stomping grounds for Frank Lloyd Wright. It's the childhood home of Meredith Wilson. And, Dillinger swung through and robbed the bank once. Those three left their mark on the world, so will I. I'm wholly curious about how this move will improve me, nudge me to discover different parts of my personality, and give me new stories I can share with my grandkids.  When I'm done chasing stories in my old age, I hope I have answered as many questions about life I can. In three weeks, I will begin to answer what's it like to live in Mason City. Stay curious, my friends, always stay curious.