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What Keeps Me In Milton

In today's edition of the Janesville Gazette, a pair of articles profile local families that had to make the difficult decision whether to relocate when General Motors called them to work at one of their other plants.

I feel fortunate that I have never had to face that decision, at least not in the serious way that these families have had to. Although several times over the past 17 years, I have been approached with employment opportunities that would have meant having to relocate from Milton, I have had the luxury of being able to say no. While a couple of those chances were greatly intriguing, I simply couldn't see myself leaving this community.

I don't even like commuting far from here. When my kids were small, I had a job on the far west side of Madison. Between the long hours, the stress and the 45-minute commute, it put a strain on my family. At one point, I went through a four-day stretch where I didn't see my kids awake – they were still asleep when I left for work and already in bed when I returned. Even though it was a good-paying job – and when I go to pay bills, I sometimes kick myself for leaving it – I decided it was worth the cut in pay to find a job closer to home.

The Gazette articles made me think about all the reasons I don't want to leave Milton. Am I an embodiment of John Mellencamp's character in the song “Small Town”? Am I simply afraid of change or larger cities?

The reasons I stay here are pretty simple. They really come down to the basics:

Family - Though only one of my siblings still lives here in Milton, the other two - as well as my mother – are all within 15 minutes of my front door. It's not like we see each other every day, but I like having them nearby. It's fun to run into my sister taking a walk, or unexpectedly see my brother over at my mom's house.

Schools - It's no accident that so much of the city of Janesville's growth is on the north side of the city, within the boundaries of the Milton School District. Although it's grown considerably since I went here, it still has the feel of a smaller, friendlier, safer learning environment. It's been a good experience for my kids, and it feels right for me to attend their events in the same buildings where I went to school. They have had some of the same teachers I had, and they have had teachers who I went to school with.

Neighbors - The day we moved into this house, one of our new neighbors introduced herself by bringing over a cake. That, in a nutshell, is how this neighborhood operates. When someone needs a hand, I feel like there is a score of people nearby that we can count on. When one of my neighbors took the lead on a Neighborhood Watch program this year, it just solidified things.

Church - Six years ago, we joined a local church where my family has found a spiritual home. It is hard for me to imagine that another place exists that would feel so completely right for us to be a part of.

House - Some of my friends may be surprised to find this on the list. They know how imperfect I think this old place is, how every scratch on the hardwood floor or crack in the fairly new driveway drives me bananas. My wife has lost count of the thousands of times she has heard me moan about having to fix this or that. At times, I truly have had a love-hate relationship with this dwelling. But as time has gone on, this place has become a part of me. And I certainly can't complain about the location – I'm on a fairly quiet street across from a park, surrounded by significant chunks of Milton history.

Cost of Living - When my property tax bill arrived last week, I was not a happy camper. But even though it took a much bigger jump than I anticipated, I see the Wisconsin Taxpayer Alliance charts and know that we're still fortunate compared to folks in a lot of other communities.

There are a ton of other reasons why I like living here, and they probably don't differ a lot from why anyone chooses to live in a particular community.

Sometimes it strikes me funny that I write a blog about Milton, when many people identify me much more strongly with Janesville, and for good reason. I have never had a job based in Milton, and for nearly eight years I was employed by Forward Janesville – you don't get much more Janesville than that. I have served on a lot of Janesville-based committees and am still on the board at the Janesville Performing Arts Center. The only major city involvement I have had here was as a member of the Milton Plan Commission. When this fact was revealed in a Gazette story, a couple of Janesville City Council members were so surprised, they accused me of some sort of conflict of interest.

But it doesn't come down to a Janesville versus Milton issue; I wouldn't be involved as much as I am in Janesville if I didn't have a lot of fondness for that community as well. It comes down to what you consider home, and where you feel a sense of place. For me, that's here in Milton.

In this part of the calendar between Thanksgiving and Christmas when it's time to count one's blessings, I can count living where I do as one of them. I hope that each of you reading this feels the same way – wherever you live.