My belief is that KTbaby is correct. I think that that headstrong nature comes from him leaving his home to go work in the city, to provide for his love. He initially wouldn't return home because of the immense regret he would have felt for having failed to make something of himself in the city. Even the name of his boss, Mr Shoemaker, is allegorical of a shitty life, and he seems to regret taking it up. So now he's saying goodbye to that city life he was never cut out for in the firstplace, finally admitting that the small town with the love of his life is where he really belongs. He also seems to be worried that she's forgotten him, that he's been gone too long, and that seems to be the straw that breaks the back, so to speak, convincing him to return from whence he came, and all that jazz. Thats my humble and hastily thrown together interpretation, I hope you enjoyed it :D
My belief is that KTbaby is correct. I think that that headstrong nature comes from him leaving his home to go work in the city, to provide for his love. He initially wouldn't return home because of the immense regret he would have felt for having failed to make something of himself in the city. Even the name of his boss, Mr Shoemaker, is allegorical of a shitty life, and he seems to regret taking it up. So now he's saying goodbye to that city life he was never cut out for in the firstplace, finally admitting that the small town with the love of his life is where he really belongs. He also seems to be worried that she's forgotten him, that he's been gone too long, and that seems to be the straw that breaks the back, so to speak, convincing him to return from whence he came, and all that jazz. Thats my humble and hastily thrown together interpretation, I hope you enjoyed it :D