Tomorrow I go back to California. It’s been a good trip. Before I left, I wondered how it would feel to be back in town. To be back in the South. Would it feel odd? Would it be that discombobulated feeling – the one where you don’t recognize anyone or anybody and leave wishing you’d never come back in the first place because everything’s different and no one’s the same?

But it didn’t feel that way. The very land itself, the people, the places – it all rose up to meet me with a loving embrace. I felt as though even the wind and trees and sky and land – the heat and most of all the people – rose up to greet me “Welcome back. It’s about time you came home.”

I felt a stirring. A sense of belonging-ness. My people – regardless of our differences, our viewpoints – I understand them. I understand the phrase ’southern hospitality’. It’s not just a saying of days gone by but has its roots in truth. And when one of their own comes back, they roll out the proverbial red carpet by means of casseroles and fried catfish, cookies and iced tea. There is a sense of strength, solidity, realness that I feel in the South. As imperfect as she may be, I am a product of my upbringing. And now I can honestly say, I love it here. I may not always like some things about her, or perhaps I have an opposing viewpoint about politics or religion or sports, but its family here. And family sticks together.

When I was driving in to town two weeks ago, the song “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” by Bon Jovi came on the radio. It was as though everything in the universe was lining up to welcome me. (Watch the song on YouTube.)

When I was with family, it was comforting and reassuring. As I drove through Texarkana, I realized the place I wanted desperately to leave as a teenager was home and in some way always would be. When I hugged my mom and dad, it was the most wonderful feeling in the world. When I visited my best friend’s house, it was as though I’d only left the weekend before. Everything fell into place. A rhythm of how life should be.

I’m glad I came back. And I hope next time I visit, it doesn’t take as long to get here.

Welcome back!

This entry was posted on Monday, August 31st, 2009 at 4:42 am and is filed under 1 Year, Stuff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.