Death by Suburbs

My friend Charlie is on the youth leadership team for St. Matthew's just outside Washington DC. I spent a weekend with St. Matthew's parents not long ago, urging them to slow down the pace of their lives. Today Charlie mentioned to me an article in the Washington Post named "Breaking Free of Suburbia's Stranglehold: Families Simplify Lifestyles in Quest for Meaning That Constant Hustle Obscured " You need to create an FREE account with the Post to read it in it's entirety. Washington Post Article

A few glimpses
"McNelley, a single mother of a 6-year-old, was feeling "overwhelmed and hopeless" when a flier appeared in her mailbox announcing a sermon series at her church called "Death by Suburb." The congregation would spend five weeks talking about the suburban lifestyle -- the consumerism and the overcaffeinated schedules, and how it all can choke the life out of you if you're not careful.

"That's how I feel . . . like we're squeezing in everything," said McNelley, 33. "My daughter has cried about it. She feels like we're always rushing. She asked me the other day, 'Mom, how come you never laugh anymore?' All I can think about is what needs to get done, laundry and everything else. It's affecting us hugely."


"Julie gave up her granite countertops. Steve gave up his library. Son Ryan, 14, gave up proximity to his best friends across the street, who shared his passion for music. Daughter Taryn, 15, endured quizzing from classmates about the sudden move.

" 'My parents wanted to downsize,' " she would tell them. "They didn't really understand. They'd just ask me again the next day and want a different answer. I was annoyed."