This nomadic humanity

Mobility has always been part of the human experience. Whether one holds to the evolutionary idea of “Lucy” who originated in Africa or the Old Testament account of Adam and Eve in Eden, the fact is that humanity began someplace and has spread to the far-flung habitats of the Earth. Humanity has always been on the move.

While it is true that many people do not venture far from home, others leave their place of origin for points either known or unknown. In the 1800s the call to “Go west, young man,” encouraged many to migrate from the eastern part of the United States toward the setting sun. So, it was with my family.

In the 1600s members of the Epps family arrived in Virginia from England. Some eventually went west to the frontier of Virginia and others dipped south into North Carolina. Some of those travelers ended up in Hawkins Country, Tennessee nestled in the mountainous corner of the northeastern tip of the state.

My great-great grandfather, Alexander, had two wives, one having died, and a passel of kids. His son, Calvin, was born in Hawkins County. His son, my grandfather, was born in Carter County, about three counties east of Hawkins County. My dad was born in Hawkins County, and I, my brother, and my oldest son were born in neighboring Sullivan County.

But Dad’s family spread out. One of eight children, my dad, the eldest, except for service in the Navy in World War II, lived in either Hawkins or Sullivan counties all his life. But some of Dad’s family moved to south Florida, A brother did “go west” all the way to California. Another brother eventually moved to western Tennessee some eight hours west of where Dad lived. Some of their offspring have no doubt scattered elsewhere over time.

I moved too. I did a stint in the Marines and returned home. Eventually, I moved to Virginia, Colorado, and, finally over 40 years ago, to Georgia. A few years ago, my brother moved to Georgia’s east coast. Of my three sons, two have remained in Georgia. My third son, after service in the Air Force, moved with his family to New Mexico.

Of our twelve grandchildren, two have moved far away and then came back. Both of them, cousins, joined the Marine Corps. One lived in Hawaii and the other was stationed in California and then was sent to Japan. All the grandchildren have resided in Georgia as their permanent home. Until now.

This Saturday, Tristan, the oldest grandson, is moving to west central Florida near Tampa to go to school. We had lunch yesterday and it hit me that it might be a while before I saw him again. In the Old West, young men might move away and never see their families again. Those parents might never know what became of their child. Thankfully, with cell phones, the internet, social media, and the postal system, that result is now unlikely.

Still, while there is pride that our kids grow and move on, there is a tug at the heart that is laced with sadness. As individuals, we may be homebodies but, as a species, we are mobile, we are wanderers, we are explorers, we are travelers.

In any given year, between 27 and 30 million Americans will move. The average American moves 11.7 times over the course of their lives. In our first ten years of marriage, my wife and I lived in 14 different homes. We humans are semi-nomadic, it appears.

This restless spirit, this need to explore, the desire to find ourselves — or whatever we call it — is how we filled the Earth with our presence. Well, it’s not filled just yet. With all the talk about overpopulation, there are vast areas where the population is sparse.

Alaska, by far the largest state in the USA, has only 730,000 people. By contrast, itsy-bitsy Rhode Island has over a million people within its borders.

So, we, that is, “the collective we,” have a way to go before the earth is full. Like bits of pollen, we are carried forth, by whatever draws us, to bring life, in all its diversity, to the far corners of the planet. We are human. It’s what we do.

[David Epps is the Rector of the Cathedral of Christ the King (www.ctk.life). Worship services are on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. and on livestream at www.ctk.life. He is the bishop of the Diocese of the Mid-South (www.midsouthdiocese.life). He may be contacted at [email protected].]