You Can Go Home Again

     I was reminded of this idea before our 25th Reunion in 2002. It had been 5 years since I had moved back to the Ridgewood area, albeit I was living in Queens at the time, and I was trying to come to terms with the old notion of whether or not you could go home again. Of course, the author Thomas Wolfe would tell you no and I had long held this opinion. This may have been part of the reason why it took me 20 years to move back. I had visited on innumerable occasions though never for very long. What finally prompted me to change my mind? I guess the realization that we all leave for a reason, whether it be to attend college or by virtue of the fact your parents sold the home and moved away. We also all return to see our homes for various reasons, ideal curiosity or just an attempt to see if you feel the same about your surroundings. In any event, you can go home again though only for as long as it takes you to remember why you left in the first place. After you remember this you can see and feel that all has changed around you and about you. This is a good thing and well worth feeling. It is no substitute for the feelings you had while growing up but it is a sign that you have grown up! So by all means, go home again. Look for the reminders of what you knew to be your home and cherish their memories. Then remind yourself that you are grown and it is up to you to create new memories.