We slipped away for an unplanned visit home a week ago. It was such a reprieve! Nowhere to go and nothing to be done. We visited the town that Robert grew up in. Poplarville, Mississippi isn't exactly a metropolitan mecca; there isn't a single traffic signal in the entire town.
Robert has fond memories of life in the Blueberry Capital of Mississippi. Riding through town, he pointed out places that brought back memories. As we passed Pearl River Drug, he told me about tagging along with anyone who was going there to pick up prescriptions. There was an ice cream counter in the back of the store that made the best shakes. As a little boy, he would climb up on one of the barstool and place his order. Curiosity got the best of him and he pulled into a parking space across the street. I followed him through the door as a bell announced our entrance. He headed straight to the back of the store and there it was. It was as if time had stood still. A mahogany bar stretched across the back of the store with antique tables and bar stools. He ordered two shakes and I watched as they were made with a 1960's blender.
An elderly man shuffled slowly up to the bar and sat down next to me. I greeted him and asked how he was. He paused thoughtfully and replied, "I've got 10 toes above ground, so I guess I'm doing good!" He ordered what appeared to be his daily cup of coffee. I wondered how long he had been following this routine.
There's something to be said for life at a slower pace. I grew up in bustling cities, but Robert has always been accustomed to this rhythm of life. I have watched him adjust to the hustle and bustle of all the places we have lived, always knowing that he was most at ease in the quiet spacious setting of his hometown.
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3 comments:
Being in Lansdale this past week brought back way too many memories. There really is no place like home.
I can't say that home is home anymore. I believe it's where you hang your hat everyday. Although I am "still crying" I do enjoy the cup of coffee on the back porch, and just this morning, in the pasture out back was a baby deer and his mom. What a unique treat. Never ever saw that in Orlando. We also picked blackberries in the woods. Never did that in Orlando. I grew up in a small town called Alden NY., but when I go back, I am glad to come back to "home."
I still have fond memories of Alden but would never want to live there again.
Brenda
Good ol' Mississippi! Can't beat it, man! I have lived away from MS for so long and I have finally come home! Of course it is not exactly the same, but we wouldn't want to raise our children anywhere else. I am glad to be back and now when we go back to the city in Baltimore, MD - I think God we are in MS now! This is home!
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