nostalgia

I came to live in this town when I was 18. It was in 1955.

The next year I married sweet Miriam and moved her back to this town. Three of our 4 daughters were born here.

Now, I am back again. But it is 2011 now, 56 years after I first arrived here. My grandfather was born here 125 years ago. His grandfather was an officer in the Union Army and arrived here right after the end of the war between the states.

That was about 1865. Now for 146 years (give or take a few) some part of my family has lived in this town.

The people I knew when I moved her 56 years that were older than me are nearly all gone. Those who were my age are mostly gone too. Only the younger, the ones I did not really know remain, and since I did not know them then, I don’t know them now! It works that way.

So as I wonder around town, which I don’t do very often, I see some of what I used to see, I see a lot of changes and a few reminders of “the old days.”

This is somewhat nostalgic and somewhat unnerving.

It just is.