So, here I stay

Mat is there (Minnesota) and I am here (St. George). And oh! how I miss my over there which my heart can hardly bare. But, while I'm here, I shan't think of there, so I will trample everywhere to clear the air of my over there. -Dickinson

Here, I am---Welcome to Dixie! Land-O-Tried-Cotton! Oh! how it makes my thoughts dizzy when I step onto red dirt soil again. When you come home you immediately place yourself in this frozen space of time of what you once were. My ice age goes back to 4th grade and on up to college. There are constant little flecks of firing sparks from my memory trying to get rekindled every time I come home that it is almost unsettling. Unsettling, yes, let me explain---you look at your roots and you start to argue with conscience: "Was it always like this?" "Has living out east changed my accent that much?" "Maybe it's my age, mmm, yes, I'm more mature, maybe? Na, maybe not." "Did that building used to be there?" "I think I know her....but where from......"

I took a few mental observations:

Observation #1 People like to tell you within the first few minutes upon your arrival of what is new, what has been replaced, and what the city council plans to do for the future. They will also tell you their opinions to go with it.

Observation #2 On hot summer days, you can smell the asphalt reheating to a melting point. It's almost as if they had just repaved the Albertson's parking lot yesterday.

Observation #3 There's something about Mary's. Three blonds are standing at a Target checkout register and they had peculiar written all over them. Their hair was colored, cut, and angled all the same. They stood in perfect form. I scrunched my eyebrows and asked, "Self, how is this possible? Every quiet strand of hair carefully placed and tacked" It was so amazing that it made my head slant slightly to the right just to get another angle.

Observation #4 I'd like a thick toasted accent with with a side of accents.

Observation #5 I've been to two sacrament meetings, in two different wards, where both of the speakers have caught my attention. The first speaker mentions Settlers of Zarahemla as a moral lesson in her talk and the Second speaker mentions how after careful planning of the girl's camp theme, the be attitudes, she was finally able to find the bumble bees at a local craft store. Next week is a cousins homecoming so no surprising talks there.

Do I like my hometown? Yes and maybe.
Does the remodeled town square look rustically nice? Absolutely!
Did I return to Target the next day purposely wearing no make-up and messy hair? yup.
Do I plan on coming back and living in my hometown? Maybe, hence the heavy speculation.

Ending my observations.......... now.