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Jan
30
My Non-Hometown
Filed Under Vocalo
I have a radio post up over at Vocalo.org: My Non-Hometown.
Comments
2 Responses to “My Non-Hometown”
Filed Under Vocalo
I have a radio post up over at Vocalo.org: My Non-Hometown.
2 Responses to “My Non-Hometown”
Chris it is funny that you say that NJ had the most influence on you…I ALWAYS thought it had the most influence on your accent!
It was weird hearing your voice today again after…uh…how many years? Thirteen! Weird.
A long time ago I found that if you look up the greek root word meanings for nostalgia you will find that they are ‘to return home’ and ‘pain’. I’m not sure what it is about the past that makes it hurt so much…sometimes I go home to visit but I could never move back to Bloomington. It hurts too much…it literally depresses me (!) and I’m not prone to depression.
If you really want to get plumb down and wallow in the knowledge of just how much time has passed get on facebook and start connecting and talking to all your old friends. It brings back waves of memories you didn’t even know you had…and you are for sure to run across someone you know who already has a highschooler. I did and I almost cried! LOL
Traci Bests last blog post..School Stuff I Love: Mechanical Pencils
Hi Traci,
It’s interesting to go back to Bloomington after being away for awhile. I’m glad that I left, because when I go back, I can appreciate all of the nices things Bloomington has to offer. I can also see that it isn’t the real world and isn’t the center of the universe that it seems to be when one is living there. If you go back, you need to check out the Jackson Creek Kroger — we stopped by on our last visit. I didn’t see anyone that I recognized, but it was interesting to see how big the store is and all of the changes that have occurred since the 1990s.
It is interesting to think back to New Jersey because it is completely nostalgic. Bloomington was idllyic compared to NJ — which was a rougher and tougher place, sort of like NW Indiana. In Bloomington, I never felt like I’d have any problems with anyone, but in NJ, I always felt like I had to be careful, like always making sure doors were locked, walking confidently, sticking with your friends when doing things, etc. On the other hand, we lived in a small town (that ran into another small town that ran into another small town and so on) in NJ where everyone knew each other, so it was also interesting because anything that you did was instantly relayed back to your parents. Even as kids, we sort of knew the cops because they made a point of talking to the kids when we were out and about. Bloomington and NWI are too large of areas for that same “hometown” feeling.
In fact, it’s interesting that both places have similarities that are striking. In NJ, we lived about an hour or so away from New York and it completely dominated the media and news, much like Chicago does in NWI. Both are on I-80. Both are urban/suburban/rural combinations. You can drive from city to farm fields in a short distance in both Northern NJ and NW Indiana.
Speaking of people from the past, I saw some pictures from my high school reunion and didn’t recognize most of the people. I also saw a list of people who had passed away — it wasn’t the people that I had expected. It seems so far away.