The weatherman on the news this morning said that the current temperatures are about 15 degrees higher than average for this time of year. I am very thankful for that, especially considering what the temperatures were only two weeks ago. I was not looking forward to the cold during my visit home… and I’ve not had to face it so far. I guess I was able to smuggle some Uganda sunshine past customs in Atlanta.
It’s still February and marketers are taking advantage of the fact that it has been a harsh winter for most of the country. I saw ‘Spring’ Oreos on my friend’s countertop this afternoon. ‘Same great taste’ just a bright yellow filling… for spring.
I travelled to White City today. Going to the town I grew up in is probably the most stressful, but necessary, part of my trips home. Family is still there. Friends that are like family are still there. The town I grew up in is not. You cannot run away from the past (or present), and cutting ties would make me unhappier than just facing reality.
Knowing that today was the day I’d make my journey to Gulf County negatively affected my mood this morning. We all change with age. Some changes are for the better. Some are not. I could get judgemental and talk about all that’s not what I’d hope, but I’m trying to avoid negativity on this trip, plus I want to still be welcome in the future.
I walked by my brother’s home, the house I grew up in, but he wasn’t there. For the first time in my life, I found the door locked (yeah, it used to be that kind of town). Stuck outside, I wandered around the yard, keeping a distance from the dogs on chains that don’t know me. In the side yard, I noticed the apple tree was full of blossoms. My dad planted that tree. Knowing that we did not live in a good climate for apple trees and knowing that the soil sucked and would not nourish the tree well, he planted that tree. And it’s still alive. A dwarf of a tree it may be, but after all these years, it’s still there… and in blossom.
Probably the best part of forcing myself to make the trip to White City is the fabulous food I know I’ll be fed: southern cooking at its best… and most fattening. Do you see why I worry about those five kilos?
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