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Along Life’s Way
You Can’t Go Home Again; However…
By Lois E. Wilson
The phrase: “You can’t go home again” was originally written by
journalist, Ella Winter. Thomas Wolfe received permission from her to
use it as title for one of his novels. The saying made me remember many
places, people, and events of my past. This trip through nostalgia
helped put the past in perspective.
In Dayton, the house I grew up in has been occupied by others since the
1950’s. The high schools I attended are no longer in use. The Botts’
School where I learned ballroom dancing basics, some social graces, and
elocution, later became the county Board of Elections for a time.
The Ducks ballpark was on the south side of West Third Street. In the
30’s and 40’s the Dayton Ducks played minor league baseball there. I
earned money parking cars for the games on the back part of our fruit
market lot. The Ducks are no more.
My husband and I met at a square dance at the downtown YMCA. I wonder
if it still has regular social activities. Recreation areas such as
Forest Park and Lakeside, which brought bands to town for dances, are
gone. I had an early date at Lakeside with my future husband. That
night, “Harbor Lights” became our song.
The department store Rike-Kumler became Rike’s, and Elder &
Johnston became Elder-Beerman. The old Elder’s did all the preparation
and delivery of my wedding gown on my special day. All these are now
names of the past.
The event that brought my memory trip to focus was the closure of Good
Samaritan Hospital. That is where our two sons were born. It is where
my husband, with different emergencies, went for life-saving help. It
was an important part of our family’s history.
Lord Alfred Tennyson wrote, “I am a part of all I have met.” He was referring not only to people, but places and events as well.
I believe the statement is true. We take something from people we
encounter in life—our parents, our teachers, our friends and
acquaintances. We can see someone or experience something, or read
something once and absorb a part of it into our being.
That is a two-way experience, for we leave a part of ourselves at such
encounters as well. Therefore, I try to cherish the past, learn from
it, and improve from it, but not live in it. You may not be able to go
back to it; however, you will always carry it with you as memories.
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