Theoretically, I can understand the idea of maturing beyond a love for pacifiers and applesauce, but really whenever people claim to have outgrown something, I think they're really just saving face. I, on the other hand, have no shame of any sort.
I still love Gargoyles. Ponies are still awesome. A test during this holiday break proved that The Lord of the Rings is still the best trio of movies ever. (Granted, my commentary is slightly dirtier than it was back in 2001.) I still think that a pint of ice cream should constitute a complete meal, that broccoli sucks, and that peanut butter tastes better with some sugar. (Yes, this is a heart attack waiting to happen.) Disney movies are an acceptable form of group entertainment. (It's the songs. They're delightful.) And okay, I may not adore ponies with the same ardor I once had, but that doesn't mean I don't get giddy when I see one looking pretty off in the distance.
I say this because I just got back to the big city after my vacation in my home town, and I admit that I'll miss it a lot. Which I think confuses a lot of people. "But, you're living in New York City!" Well, yes. But as amazing as New York City is, and as much as I don't want to leave any time soon, it isn't home.
When I take people to Sacramento, they're typically not all that impressed. It's hard to explain that a place isn't just made up of bright lights, attractions, and local landmarks (although, let me just point out, Sacramento has all of these. In smaller amounts than other places, but still). A place is memories. And Sacramento is, understandably, saturated with them. Trying to explain that a restaurant is actually the site upon which many a dramatic teenage conversation was had about life doesn't seem to impress people. The taffy shop in the old part of town where many a cavity was aggravated doesn't convey a sense of warmth to others. A bar that feels just right, without flash or dramatics, shouldn't be nearly as exciting as I find it to be. A cinnamon roll on Christmas day with baby sausages don't really warrant the joy I appoint to them.
Maybe it's a flaw on my part, but I get enthusiastic about the familiar. It's not to say that I'm not going to plunge into the big wide world and have some adventures, but it does mean that coming home will always be my end-game. And maybe my definition of 'home' will change in the future, but Sacramento will always be like Gargoyles to me. I will always love it, it will always remind me of awesomeness, and I'll always want to return to it, for the memories. (The only downside is that Sacramento, alas, doesn't have Riker from Star Trek playing the villain. This is a terrible oversight on Sacramento's part, and I'll be complaining about it in the near future.)
I know exactly how you feel! Sacramento is more then just "Where the heart is". When ever I think about it the same memories come to mind, Holiday's with the family, In-N-Out, Squeeze Burger (Thank you for introducing that to me, by the way), School, Old Town, So on and so on. When ever I try and explain why it's such an awesome place to people, I get exited before I realize how unappealing it sounds when I try to describe how we have so many trees, or how perfectly placed we are between the mountains and the beach.
ReplyDeleteIt's an amazing place :)