The Divine Move

It was 1993. Rob and I were a young couple just starting our family in Columbia, South Carolina. We had a decision to make.

But first, let’s remember back to the early 90s. While the personal computer had been invented, it was not something that people had in their homes. Not yet. Having earned my Master’s Degree in Computer Science, I worked in the corporate office for a regional trucking company. As careers go, I was doing pretty well. When I had ‘on-call’ weekends, I had to lug home a full-sized computer monitor and several pieces of hardware, then use my phone line to dial into the company’s network to check on things. Very clunky. Also at that time, cell phones were not a thing, at least not for most people. We were all still tethered to the wall. TV had advanced, but there were not as many channels to choose from. Music CD’s were the rage, but the average person could not burn their own music yet. There was no such thing as a playlist.  There was no streaming. Radio was big, but there were limited channels, and few dedicated to anything that wasn’t current music of the day.  It goes without saying that the internet hadn’t been incorporated into our everyday lives.

After Rob and I got married in the mid-1980s, we moved a few times to follow his job. I always found a decent job wherever we landed, because, being in the computer industry, I was ‘marketable’. We bought our 1^st house, and lived in it for 1 year before being transferred. We bought our 2^nd house, and lived in it for 2 years before being transferred. Settled into our 3rd house, we had just started year 3 when (you see the pattern, right?) Rob was offered a job with a different company in a different state. He wasn't looking, the offer just fell into his lap. We were sick and tired of moving. We were happy with our life and our choices living in Columbia, South Carolina. We did not want to relocate again. But, the potential job held a lot of promise, so we started to consider it.

‘Consider it’ does not even describe what we did. We deliberated and pondered. We weighed the pros and cons. We agonized. For days, and even weeks. Remember, in those days, we had limited research data at our fingertips. Most of what we did was speculate.  On all accounts, we were satisfied with our current situation. We flat-out didn’t want to move again. But, we also didn’t want to miss out on what sounded like a great opportunity for Rob. With a big jump up the management ladder and a large pay increase, it could provide an opportunity for me to stay at home for a while with our young preschooler and baby number two, who was on the way. What to do? What to do?   Rob and I were both exhausted from the stress of trying to answer all the what-ifs and why-nots.

The job opportunity was in greater Atlanta, Georgia, specifically in Doraville. Doraville was on the east side of Atlanta. That’s all I knew about the potential move. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to move to a big-city location that I knew absolutely nothing about. It sounded intimidating.

As Rob was being pressed to answer, we knew it was time to make a decision. With the weight of the stress on my shoulders, I got up in the morning to get ready for work. In the shower, I paused, looked up at the ceiling and said, “OK God, we have no idea what to do. I am so tired of thinking about this. Just send me a sign that tells me what to do. That’s all, just a sign, yes or no. Then I’m done.”  As I climbed out of the shower, I started to towel off, then I reached over to turn on the radio, as I did every morning. Immediately, I heard the band Atlanta Rhythm Section blasting the chorus of “Doraville, a touch of country in the city, Doraville, it ain’t much but it’s home….” Perfectly cued up. I was so taken aback, I almost fell over.

The radio was set to a Top 40 Radio Station playing current songs on the morning show with local DJs. The song Doraville, released 18 years earlier in 1974, was not something that the station would normally play. They never played oldies. After the song ended, the DJs explained that they had randomly decided to do a blast from the past, hence, the song. You can takeaway whatever you like, but, their reasons didn’t matter to me. I started laughing. I looked back at the ceiling, and said, “OK, thank you – Got it!”, then I went into the bedroom, woke Rob up, and said, “Take the job.” Of course, he was surprised and confused, but he took my story for what it was worth. He got up, got ready for the day, and then called to accept the job offer. Started the ball rolling.

That is the only Sign From God that I have ever received. It’s also the only sign I have ever asked, prayed, or pleaded for. I fear that if I ever ask for a specific sign again, I might not like whatever answer I receive. And, far be it from me to defy a Sign From God. So, I shan’t ask.

Anyhoo, Rob took the job, and in 1993 we moved to Duluth, Georgia, where Rob could commute easily to Doraville. Best decision of our lives. We moved to Duluth, found the most incredible neighborhood, made the best friends ever, had wonderful experiences in the community, and raised our 4 kids. Sure, there were some difficult times, angst, and heartbreak. Life happened. But, as a whole, the last 33 years in Georgia were a fantastic ride. Couldn’ta found a better place to grow our family and send our kids out into the world. The move to Georgia was a godsend.

Now, May 2026, we sold our house in Georgia and moved away. Actually, we close the sale tomorrow. So, barring any unforeseen disaster, within the next 24 hours, our house will belong to someone else. It’s bittersweet, because we hate to leave people and activities behind. But we are ready for new things. And, unlike 1993, we are always connected if we choose to be. We will continue to see our friends when possible, we will keep up with news that interests us, and, because we moved one state over, back to South Carolina, we will only be a hop, skip, and a jump away from our beloved town of Duluth, Georgia. We will always be a part of that community. We are gone, but not gone forever.

Rob and I are excited about the promise of new adventures in our new location.

My motto for this year comes from the Tom Petty song Time to Move On:

It's time to move on, it's time to get going
What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing
But under my feet, baby, grass is growing
It's time to move on, time to get going.

Yes, indeedy, it is. Our time in Georgia was divine-inspired, but much more lies ahead for us. Thanks for the memories, GA. And SC, let's get this party started!