My Hometown

-

A few weeks ago we went to North Collins for dinner. Josif’s is the restaurant in the center of the village and it used to be Speedy’s - our old stomping grounds bar - where I did a lot of drinking after softball games and in days that ended in Y.

When I walked in I thought about my 18th birthday and doing shots with my buddy Jeff. I could barely stand and he was showing zero signs of intoxication.

The next day he told me that he was tossing the shot over his shoulder after we did the toast.

That’s what I thought about when I walked in and it made me smile.

Then I looked around the near capacity restaurant.

I didn’t know a person there!

This week, I drove out to visit Mom and I went the long way around, down Shirley Road.

I passed by the home of a childhood friend who died young. I drove through intersections where horrific accidents claimed lives.

The kid up the road had been struck on his bike - was just five years old when he died as a result of his injuries.

I saw the world through the eyes of the boy I’d been back then.

And each house that I passed on Shirley I thought about my friends who had lived there.

A couple of the homes were in absolute disrepair.

Everything seems bigger when you’re a kid.

When I drive through town now I wonder about how poor a place it appears to be.

I didn’t see any kids out playing.

When I roamed Shirley Road with my buddies the street was alive.

Kids everywhere!

We played every sport…usually at my house.

I pulled into the driveway of my childhood home and looked out at the basketball hoop.

My God we played hard on that patch of concrete.

The Diamond shape of the infield of the baseball field has long since grown in, but I could almost hear the laughter.

I felt both happy and sad.

There are certainly no regrets…

…we emptied the tank and loved every moment…

…but thought about life flying by again.

When you’re back where it all happened the mind plays a bit of a trick…

…was ten minutes ago, I thought.

As I drove home, I took a different path…

…straight through the heart of My Hometown.

“Take a good look around. This is your hometown.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suits

-
Like a lot of other people we got pulled into the series, ‘Suits’ on Netflix. I’ve never had much fun hanging around lawyers who have questioned me as a construction safety officer. I once testified in a case where the opposing lawyer started questioning me by going through my educational background. “So,” he said, racing to a crescendo, “You graduated from college with a degree in Communications-Journalism and suddenly, 30 years later, you’re a ‘safety expert.’” He actually made the quotation marks with his fingers. I just looked at him. “How does that happen?” He bellowed, sure that he was going to discredit me. “Well,” I said. “I knew I was overqualified to become a lawyer.” The courtroom erupted in laughter. Even the judge chuckled. The rest of his questions landed flat. So, I wasn’t all that keen on a show about lawyers, but ‘Suits’ is great. Meghan Markle became a princess because of the show, and she is very good in it (and a beautiful woman). Yet, there is so much more. The wri
Read more

My Buddy, Dave

-
Way back in 1997, I started working with a steel erection company out of Syracuse. I was coming straight from a long stint with a steel erector here in Buffalo so I knew my stuff when it came to steel erection safety rules. On day one, I met with the safety director and he was just getting started as a safety guy, but man, he certainly cared about the guys he worked with. Dave was a good man from the start. He’d say things like: “You’re so full of beans.” Just a down to earth, hardworking guy who became a fast friend. We drove all around New York State setting up jobs. I always let Dave drive so that I could rest. One fine day, way up North of Syracuse, we passed a state trooper.  I glanced at the speedometer. “You’re screwed,” I said, and seconds later, the lights came on. Dave was beside himself.  The cop stopped by the window, grabbed the license and registration and headed back to his vehicle. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “You’re pissed, but you’re such a good guy that I bet you tha
Read more

Mom & Ollie

-
Image
 Ollie Stadium is a mess. The heavy rains rendered the backyard a mud pit and even though we threw in the side yard, the Big O was looking for more, and we were both covered in mud. I had to take some steam out of him somehow so I suggested we go visit Grandma. Ollie hates the car, but he laid quietly as we made the trip. We even brought the football because there is plenty of room to play at Grandma’s. Mom opened the door and started laughing. I thought about the love she had for every single dog we ever had. Oliver was quick to give my Mom a kiss, and then he stood beside her. The love between Mom and Dogs is a mutual bond. Through the years, Mom would make breakfast for the dogs.  Fried eggs, toast, bacon… She would wrap Christmas gifts for them. “To Jeter, Love Santa,” she would write on the cards. They played with the big chicken that made a lot of noise. Mom tossed the football and Ollie brought it back to her. As the visit drew to a close I headed for the door.  “C’mon, Oliver,”
Read more