The Long Road...

I went to New York this weekend to see a good friend marry the love of his life, a truly wonderful experience. My son & I flew in to CT and stayed with my parents for a night both on the incoming and the outgoing nights, saved us quite a bit of money and allowed him to see my parents.

While on the way to New York we weren't in a hurry and I was itching to see some old New England style mixed with beautiful fall foliage, so we took the "scenic route". Up through the hills of Torrington, out through Sharon and on into New York. The winding roads were like a NASCAR road course on crack, lined with beautiful old farm houses and old barns that are still painted "barn red", taking you back to the days when life was new...back when people's lives weren't so busy and we weren't in a hurry.

It reminded me of growing up in a town just like that, the little town of Granby, CT wasn't much excitement, but it was home.  Those that lived there either couldn't wait to get out or couldn't imagine leaving.  All through middle school most of thought there was so much more of the world we could see if we could just get out of town, if we could just get out there to those other towns and cities that seemed to have so much more excitement.

Just before my sophomore year I got out, moved to South Burlington, VT and had the best of both worlds.  A small city that offered so much excitement, yet close enough to the "backwoods" side to cause some trouble.  We were fearless in those days...no worries, working for minimum wage at McDonald's with your best friend and out riding in cars with boys until midnight every weekend.  Back when you thought your best friend would be your best friend forever.

I miss those innocent days.

Now I am a mother and I worry about my son not knowing those wonderful experiences I had because our world has become so damaged.  I want him to go out and run in fields and collect lightning bugs as a child and then go back to that same field with a girl years later to steal his first kiss.

Where did the innocence go?  When did it stop being so easy and careless?  Why did that best friend have to move away and grow apart?

Oh, that's right, we had to become adults...

Finishing the drive down those long roads from Connecticut up into New York, I realized that those very roads were filled with memories, memories I wouldn't give back and never want to forget.  Memories that I don't think about often enough, but I wish I did.  Those roads are filled with long lost friendships, and friendships that still remain strong.

It's only when we grow up and get out of that place we longed to get away from that we realize how badly we want to go back there.  That the small town we couldn't wait to get away from is where you want to raise your kids.

What a long road it has been...