Thinking about my youth...

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Massmerch

Massmerch

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Joined
Apr 24, 2014
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167
Location
Mesquite, Nevada
Since I retired last June, I have been thinking about where I (partially) grew up.  A lot of good family and friend times.  It's been about 35 years since I drove by there and I am thinking more and more about it.  Maybe it's time to take a trip down memory lane.  Anybody else have, or have had, these thoughts, and did you make the trip?  If so, how was it?
 
In 1959 my family traveled route 66 from Chicago to LA and resettled on the west coast. I did not return until 2004, 45 years later. It was an interesting trip to be sure but the reality did not measure up to the memories. You cannot go back as they say. But it was worth it just for the photo op.
 

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Massmerch said:
Since I retired last June, I have been thinking about where I (partially) grew up.  A lot of good family and friend times.  It's been about 35 years since I drove by there and I am thinking more and more about it.  Maybe it's time to take a trip down memory lane.  Anybody else have, or have had, these thoughts, and did you make the trip?  If so, how was it?
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Other than my seasonal time working in Alaska, I have lived within a hundred miles of where I was born all my life. I grew up in three different counties, and occasionally go back and drive through the old neighborhoods. A year or so ago I took a walk around one of the old neighborhoods where I lived from about age 10-16. On the surface, it didn't look like a whole lot had changed. I even stopped at an old style drive in restaurant that is still standing and the girl looked at me funny when I told her it had been close to 50 years since I last ate there!

I currently live 2 blocks from where I lived with my parents when I graduated high school 40+ years ago, and not a whole lot has changed here either, other than the town has grown up around me.
 
We grew up in Kansas.  My wife left there in 1964, while I left in 1966, however both our Families are still there so we have always made several trips there every year.  We worked in Washington, California, Arizona, and Oklahoma before settling in TX in 1977.  We're still in TX.  When we retired in 2009, we have made an effort to visit all the places we lived in the past.  It was well worth it. Interesting to see all the changes and reconnect with friends we haven't see for years.  LOTS of changes.  In every case, we're happy with were we now live and have no desire to go back permanently. 
 
I too grew up in Kansas but now live in Indiana.  I've been back for occasional high school reunions, staying with a classmate, which is kinda weird but very enjoyable.  Who would have figured all these years later I'd be a guest in their house?  The town was small at the time and lost the major employer along with  the state re-routing the highway so it no longer passed thru town.  The town really tanked and looks a bit bedraggled to say the least.  I went back with a fellow rv traveler this last summer and was cruising thru town, showing her the sights.  When I drove past where I lived ---- my house was gone and all that was left was a grassy lot.  Then I started realizing there were numerous grassy lots.  Sad.  But no jobs... no people.... no money... no reason to stay.

I'm not at all sorry I have been back.  Just a fact of life that small towns with no industry suffer.

I think living somewhere for a long time makes the changes less obvious as the stores, houses, etc. come and go.  Going back with several or many years in between visits makes the changes much greater.
 
I still live in the town where I grew up; third generation of my family.

There's a "new" stop sign that I keep forgetting about, and almost run it every time I'm on that street. You'd think after 20 years it would sink in.
 
I can relate to your story Happy Wanderer.

Not directly, but one of our friends lives in a small town in Louisiana.
Got stopped by police for going through a stop sign.

She told the officer she had been doing this for 39 years and never been stopped before! Go figure.

cheers, Case
 
Since you're curious, you should go. No matter what you find when you get there, if you don't take a look you'll always wish you had.
 
We retired back to the town I grew up in after 37 years of living in the cities. It has changed a lot, the main business district is now in a mall along the highway and the old hotel and post office are about the only remnants of when I was growing up. We are enjoying it, I frequently see people I knew including my high school math teacher but it doesn't feel the same as I remember. The memories are definitely sweeter than the reality. Thanks for bringing this up.
 
The old saying: You Can't Go home Again.. for Me, was very true.

Grew up (basically) in Estacada, Oregon. Joined the Navy at 17. Been back many times to visit my Dad (now passed on) and Brother,  it's not "Home". The town, the people, the area and the general feeling has changed.. and, As it should be. Life Goes On

I'm glad I've gone back all those times though.. because it's given me perspective, on where I've been, what I've seen and what I've done with life.. since I left. A Feel Good feeling.......... Life Went On.

I'd highly recommend anyone to go back "Home". It satisfies that.. Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda ?
 
I was born in New Jersey and my family moved to California when I was 6 years old.

A few years ago, my (then) wife and I went back to New York for her daughter's graduation from Columbia University.

I wanted to rent a car and visit the old neighborhood in New Jersey to see if I could find the house where I spent the first 6 years of my life, but we ran out of time.

Three months later we went back to New York again for the daughter's wedding.  This time we were able to schedule a day to visit the old neighborhood.

When we got there, we found a mixture of older suburban houses interspersed with newer McMansions.  There was a bare foundation and a pile of rubble at my old address.  Neighbors said someone bought it and the house on the adjoining lot and were going to tear them both down and build a large house in place of the two smaller ones.

The house had been demolished three days before we got there.  I would have loved to get some pictures while it was standing.
 
I know that had to be very disappointing to you Lou.  Missing it by 3 days is getting hit below the belt.  Several years ago the home I was raised in, was put up for sale.  I so badly wanted to go see it and schedule a walk through with the realtors, maybe even consider it to purchase for a rental.  My Mom loved that house and would have been proud to have it back in the family but, as usual, it just didn't happen. Maybe next time...but I'm not holding my breath.
 
The house I grew up in is still in use but it and the property my parents owned have changed so much I hardly recognize them. There are now 5 houses where one once stood.
 
"Memory Lane" is only a 20 minute drive from my residence. I have lived in various places around the same area (same city) all my life. Not sure why. I've made many threats of moving somewhere warmer, cheaper, whatever. I never did.
The old house I was brought home to after birth is still there. But the neighborhood sure as heck isn't what it used to be. It has deteriorated a bit over the years. I was 5 when we moved to the north side of town into a brand new house.
That is where I really grew up. After graduating high school, I was out on my own and did my own thing. My choice. I had my many failures, as well as a few successes. A learning experience I thought I would never forget at the time.
I did forget a lot of it over the years.

Do it. Make the trip.
There may be mixed emotions about doing so. But you satisfy your curiosity and will have closure of what you obviously have been thinking about for a while.
Regardless of what you find, I think it will do you good.

Then go to Disneyland.  ;) 
 
I grew up in an interesting neighborhood.  You could be just walking down the street and the cops would stop you to check for guns and knives.  If you did not have one they made you go get one.  Having a criminal record was a prerequisite to running for any public office.  City building codes required at least one car on blocks in every front yard.

I got outta there as soon as I could, never looked back.

On a side note, I never went through puberty.  I went straight to adultery.
 
Kim and I grew up in different towns but still live within 45 minutes of each place. The one that gets me choked up is my maternal grandparents place outside Kingston Ontario. I spent a lot of time there as a kid but my grandparents passed 10+ years ago and there is no other family there so we never get back there. Packing up the house was tough. We camped near there several years ago so we drove by - very odd.
 
Thanks...lots of good stories.  We will make that trip to Phoenix soon and see what kind of dormant memories come to the surface again.  I've checked google earth several times and the street I lived on doesn't look to different...just a lot of additional neighborhoods that have developed over time.  It certainly will be interesting.

Mark.  When we're done, it definitely will be time for "Disneyland"!

Tom.  I had a very similar jacket as you did as a kid.  Sometime around the second half of the 50's.  We sure we're good looking! Lol.  ???
 
Since my dad was 20 yr Air Force it would be one hell of a road trip to visit all the places I lived before high school. We moved every 2~3 years. And there were the 2 years in Germany.

I lived in one Kansas town during all of my high school years. Then lived in southern California in the 80's. When I do get back to Salina, KS the town seems so small. And I got to tour my high school at a class reunion. Someone left that building out in the rain, it shrunk!
 
My Mother lived on our Farm in KS until two years ago.  At 87, she no longer wanted to drive to town to the store or keep the 5 acres of grass mowed.  She moved into a retirement facility and we sold the house and 25 acres to a young neighbor who has been working hard to update the old buildings.  they warmed over our old big red barn and had a wedding and reception in the cow lot!!!  Every time I go up there, I always drive by to see what has changed and have really been pleased.  The new owners are fixing everything we let go over the last 15 years since my Dad passed.  We still own farm land there, so I always pass by when in the area.
 
srs17 - I too was an Air Force Brat. Daddy was in for 30 years. I went to Amarillo TX a couple of years ago, where we lived off base (Amarillo AFB) back in 61 and 62. Lots of memories of playing in the alley. The house looked so plain and small. Size of homes do shrink as we age.
 
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