You Can Go Home Again

The adage "You can't go home again" is from the title of a 1940 novel by Thomas Wolfe. The saying means that you can't recreate the past because it will never be the same as you remember it. It's not just returning to where you grew up. Think about returning to the place of that fabulous vacation or even to that great first meal at a restaurant.

Well, I did "go home" again last month and it was fabulous! I hadn't been back to Bayonne, New Jersey in over 20 years and I couldn't wait to see the changes.

Four dear, old friends picked me up at Newark Airport and took me on the grand tour. I saw the revitalization of Bayonne filled with new corporate offices, businesses, factories, condos, apartment rentals and the Military Ocean Terminal converted into a port for luxury cruises.

Then we went to all the places I lived, went to school, and worked. I closed my eyes and a million wonderful memories flooded my mind.

There was no better place than Bayonne to grow up. We walked everywhere and played games and sports until it got dark. We ate dinner together as a family each night and actually had conversations. We listened in class and completed our homework. We respected the police and were grateful they were working to protect us. We learned from our elders and were happy to attend family gatherings. We listened to our parents and heeded their guidance; we knew there would be a consequence if we were disrespectful to anyone. We valued the work ethic and wanted to have an afterschool job.

We cultivated our friendships and ended up with good friends for the next 60 years!