As the Crow Flies

This week we heard from the group that read the the Wendell Berry novel Jayber Crow which seemed to be about a man who was trying to find himself. Jayber wasn't satisfied with his life in Port William and decided to leave and become a preacher but then he decided that he didn't want to be a pastor and dropped out. Jayber goes on floating through life in this manner for the rest of his life. I understand Jayber's want to find where he belongs but it seems irresponsible to just up and leave when you feel that you are done in a certain area. I haven't read the book so I don't know if he had anyone relying on him in those towns or anything like that but it seems selfish to leave whenever you feel like it. Somewhere there is probably some context to his choices but to me it seems that he isn't really thinking of anyone other than himself. It seems to me that Jayber doesn't necessarily believe that he HAS to live where he was originally from but his idea of place is simply wherever he happens to find himself at a given time. His sense of place isn't based on where he's from but rather where he is supposed to be. He believes that God is sending him where he needs to be and is telling him what he needs to do. I don't think that Jayber necessarily adheres to the idea that he HAS o live in Port William but rather thinks that he is needed there. I agree with this particular idea, if Center Point turns out to be the best place for me to live I'll happily live there but I don't think you should pigeonhole yourself to only living in a certain place because you happen to be from there.