Every foraging creature worth its salt is going to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of provisions. But even your most stubborn and survivalist squirrel is going to be smart enough to understand that without trees her efforts are useless. Not only does she not have a means to provide shelter for herself and her young without a single tree, without enough trees to go around there aren’t enough nuts for everybody to get fed. This lends itself to natural common sense: go where the resources are to live most optimally. Virtually every species on Earth understands this.
Except for, as it seems, many of the American unemployed, underworked, and underpaid. Now, there’s no getting around the simple truth that there are currently not enough jobs for everybody that wants one. But what people often forget, or perhaps choose not to remember, is that opportunity, especially relative to your skills, varies significantly from city to city, state to state, and region to region. There might not be any job openings in Hope, Arkansas for someone who just got their nursing degree, but perhaps there are plenty in Jacksonville, Florida. Moving is expensive, but compared to the money lost or the money that could be gained by going elsewhere, it’s a nominal price to pay.
So why do so many American workers who can conceivably go anywhere in the country they choose in order to find work or find more fulfilling work choose not to? Part of the reason is the human tendency to prefer to stick to where we’re comfortable. Even squirrels prefer a familiar tree. I don’t think there’s a single human on the whole planet that’s perfectly fine with leaving family, friends, and an established life behind somewhere.
But then again, when it comes to protecting the livelihood of loved ones under your charge, and ensuring that necessities can be gained for a long time to come, I don’t think there’s a reasonable human on Earth who would forgo these things because they were scared to move away from home. That’s why the lack of migration, a la’ the one that followed the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression, is so surprising.
An argument for why mass migration isn’t occurring as it has before in similar circumstances is that more and more people are obligated to stay where they are. One such obligation is school – traditional universities require that you stay put in once place for at least four years. Consider this: if you South University online or some other college that offers online degrees, you could conceivably move anywhere during your education.
Retirement is nothing without acorns, which are non-existent when all the trees have been chopped down. Yes, trees will grow again on these spots, but it takes decades for that to happen, far too long for any squirrel to wait. Those faced with limited options for hiring or occupational improvement in their hometown need to face the facts: the trees have been chopped down. Go out there and search for a dense forest, one where there’s enough nuts for everybody to live happily and retire comfortably.
Most people won’t move because they do not realize how long it will take to find a job! You only fin that out using 20/20 hindsight. If they knew it would take 3 years to get a job, maybe they would move. The emotional as well as financial toll is immense short and long term.
I think the thought of moving is financially daunting, especially to those who are financially insecure. When you add in all the costs associated with moving, even for a new job, the bottom line is overwhelming. I think maybe a lot of people would rather stay put with the hopes of finding some employment-any employment-than moving and possibly losing that job.