Memory Lane

Last night the lovely Robin and I took a drive down to the utterly gorgeous Gwen Mooney Funeral Home in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati. We visited with the family and friends of a dear friend from long ago, whom we hadn't seen in many years, and whom we won't see again until we are reunited in heaven.

On the drive down and back, however, I had the chance to reflect on how glad I am to live in an area where so much of my personal history and so many memories reside. On the drive to and from the funeral home, I passed the thrift store I've bought many books in, the theater complex I've taken Robin to many times since we were in our teens, and the church where I saw Annie Hering (of Second Chapter of Acts) perform, among others. I passed the GE plant a friend and I broke into one night in our teens (thank God for the statute of limitations), the old Erie Canal locks I've driven through countless times, the former home of two brothers we used to pick up for church activities, and the cemetery I've strolled through many times. And that's just the beginning. Nearly every mile of the trip down and back evoked a distinct memory of the past forty years, provoking gratitude that, while I have moved fifteen times in my life, I nonetheless live in and around the city I have always considered home.