#400: SPOTLIGHT: Tim Vogt
#4oo: Tim Vogt
September 17, 2024
A Backbeat of Community
Question for Tim:
What is one significant and lousy decision you made that accidentally resulted in some positive indirect outcomes?
Tim's Response:
20 years ago, my wife and I decided to take a “Vow of Stability” to live in the same place for the rest of our lives. We were inspired by some Benedictine nuns, who use it as a way of being stable caretakers of a little corner of the world. It seemed like an interesting way to live in a culture where everything seems so temporary.
WHO DOES THAT?!?
Our house is worth 4x what we bought it for! What good is that if we never sell? We could buy a bigger house with more land! Our local school is performing in the bottom 25% in Kentucky! We could move to a better school district. Instead, we have to find “enrichment opportunities” for our three sons. We bought an empty lot on our block so we could one day build the kind of house that would allow us to never have to live in a nursing home.
Every year, we hear from another family who decides to cash in and move out. But here we are, stuck on our block.
What were we thinking?!?
But…We know how to welcome newcomers.
We know how to build long and strong trust. We know how to have patience with other peoples’ children. We know how to relate to people who like to be loud and people who like to be quiet. We know how to keep politics from destroying connections. We know how to be joiners and celebrators of other peoples’ things, even if we’d rather not (And we truly often would rather not). We know how to value the stability of old neighbors and remain open to the disruption of new ones.
Sometimes it feels like this is the worst thing we ever did. But it also brings us the deep joy of sharing memories that are decades old, or watching the long story unfold.
I suspect Tim would love all direct responses from you. I find it incredibly encouraging when I hear from any of you after I share my thoughts. It is powerful for me. I assume many others have a similar experience. So here is Tim's email… pip
Amanda's thought…
Tim, I love the idea of taking a vow of stability, particularly in regards to the notion of being “stable caretakers of a little corner of the world,” as you so wonderfully phrased it. I think this is a beautiful thing - to be able to truly soak into a neighborhood, to invest in its relationships both old and new, and to witness and be a part of change in one area over time. Thank you for sharing your and your wife’s story, Tim. And I look forward to actually getting to see first-hand your little corner of the world next month!
- Amanda
