Nostalgia

Today's post is nothing profound.

For me it's just something from the heart.

Today as I was perusing one of my friend's updates on facebook, I found myself in the same place. You see, she started remembering things from our past. Things from our home town in Newton, MS. A little town of about 3000 people.

It was our own little "Mayberry" of sorts. Everyone knew everyone else.....and everyone's business. We had our own "Barney Fife". His name was Clarence. I don't even know if he's still alive, but if he is, I'm sure he's still driving 10 miles an hour through town just waiting for something big to happen.

There was Hailey's Hardware store on the left corner just as you drove in to town from my house. I remember visiting there many times as a child with my dad. Looking for the perfect bolt or nail to do some sort of wood work. Dad was always using the router and saw for something.

There was a little mom and pop grocery store just next to it. I think is was called Mason's Grocery. We would go in there in get a few things here and there and "put it on the tab". On payday, the tab got paid.

Of course there was The Brass Knob...the ritzy clothes that we couldn't afford. I remember in 3rd grade going in there to get a specific "hang 10 hat" I wanted the blue satin one, but all they had left was green. I got it....my mom paid $10 for it and almost had a heart attack. That was a lot of money back then. Of course I was made fun of because mine wasn't blue like everyone else's, but I had a "hang 10 hat" nonetheless.

There were other little places that stood out like The Rainbow Cafe and Feldman's. I worked in their warehouse when I was in high school for a while. I really enjoyed that because I got first dibs on clothes that came through. I remember buying my first pair of Guess jeans and Tretorn shoes. I need to find another pair of those......

One of my favorite places was the drug store with the ice cream parlor. They had the old fashioned ice cream that was scooped from a bin and made milk shakes. Although we never got a lot of them, it's something I remember vividly.

There was also The Newton Record...our local paper. It is no longer in print, but at the time anything and everything was put in there. From births and deaths, marriages and divorces, and even if you had somebody come to town for a visit. Like I said, everyone knew everyone....and their business.

I grew up going to Calvary Baptist Church and then First Baptist Church as a youth. My life revolved around Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. We were there every time the doors opened. I went on all of the retreats and trips and stayed for all of the lock-ins on holidays. Oh those were some fantastic times!!! I could tell stories for days about trips we took. The youth/music minister is still there after all these years. I grew up babysitting his children and now they are married and one is expecting her first child, a baby girl.

You know, they say not to look back on the past because it can't be changed. But every now and then you need to take a look. The past is what defines our present. It's what makes us who we are today. Although I choose not to live there now, I wouldn't go back and change a thing about the way I was raised or where it happened. I made wonderful friends and memories all along the way. I grew a strong foundation of Faith in the church. My parents told me no matter what, I could always be whatever I wanted. Some people think that growing up in a small town, you may never get out. But I beg to differ. I left 15 years ago. I stayed and made a life for myself here in Lexington.

And although I love living in a big city and having everything at my fingertips, I do sometimes long for home.

For that comfort of everyone knowing everyone. Knowing that if something happens, your neighbor will always be there.

So now, take a look back.

Be grateful for where you came from and look ahead to where you are going. The future is only as bright as you make it.

The past can't be rewritten, but it can make us stronger. Be thankful for every change, for every heart break, for every scar.

Renee