Home Town

Of late, I have been wondering where is my home town, that larger community to which I belong?

Like many, I have lived in different cities and towns; some for longer periods and some larger than others; when I went back “to see the old neighborhood” where I grew-up, it had changed. It didn’t look or feel the same; overall it looked smaller and older. Also buildings had been torn down, some were empty and others had been replaced. Stores where we shopped no longer existed and in some locations, every conceivable space had been built upon. When I looked for friends, family and acquaintances, they were gone. In my memory, only faint ghosts remained.

Over the years in different geographic locations, we set-up home, lived together as a family, loved and worked. For a time, I considered these my home town and I was comforted and grew.

Now that I am older, I long for a return to a place where I can again feel part of a larger community and be comfortable with my family and friends. Yes, each of us has an inner need to be part of a larger group: their extended family or “tribe.”

For me, I think this home still exists, but it is far beyond the stars or some place in my dreams.

-SB