One More Time...

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. ~From the television show The Wonder Years

The clock is ticking down and I’m about two weeks away from my move to Charlotte, NC. I still have lots of packing to do, things to sort and throw out or give away and the massive organization of paperwork. I’ve confirmed the auto and renter’s insurance, signed up with Duke Electric (yes, I know…) and received a great deal for moving my AT&T Uverse. But there are still some personal things I need to do.

Other than a couple of years here and there, I’ve lived in the same small town since 1965. I went to kindergarten with many of the same kids I graduated from high school with. My 20 year old daughter attended these same schools and even had some of the same teachers.  Even though I wasn’t born in Bethel, my roots are here. The memories are here. My childhood and that of my daughter’s has evolved around this small town. Now, it’s time to start saying goodbye.

I’ve taken my car to the dealership for an oil change and brakes and thanked the service techs for their care of my vehicles for the last 20 years. I’ve stopped in at the bank I’ve used since I was 16 years old and talked about my accounts with the women I’ve known forever. I’ve returned those library books to the building I’ve been going to since I was four.  I got my hair cut and said goodbye to the woman who has shared my journey of discovery these past few years.

I drive down a road and wonder if I will make it over here again before I leave. The apple orchard is closed for the season but I remember the Apple Blossom Festival, hay rides, apple picking and cider donuts. I drive by Parloa Park and think about the old double slide and swings. And I recall Meckauer Park where I learned to swim. I’m so lucky I have such great memories to take with me.

And then I wonder: Will the Creamery be open for ice cream before I head out? Do they have a Trader Joe’s in Charlotte or do I stock up on sesame sticks? Will chocolate lace travel well or maybe my mom can just ship me some.

 

Instead of using the words “last time”, I’ve decided to use the words “one more”. On Saturday, I had “one more” lunch with my mother at the old fashioned drive-in restaurant for a burger and chocolate malted before I move. On Thursday, I had “one more” dinner with my carpool and drinking buddy from high school. Last night, some of us from BHS had drinks together “one more” time. I have lunch plans for today and next week. Dinner with the women in my family will be next Saturday night.

And then there are those people who I see and we say to one another, “Let’s get drinks before you leave.”  I know it won’t happen and I may never see those people again. I’m the one changing my life and leaving this small town.  They are still here and going about their lives. And that’s okay. They are content and I wasn’t. They are comfortable and I want to mix things up. Their life journey has them staying in Bethel right now. My life journey has me hitting the road.

But first my daughter has to come home, one more time…