I was struck by the idea that certain places continue revealing our earliest formation long after we believe we have outgrown it. Perhaps memory is not trying to return us to the past, but to help us recognize what has remained faithful beneath all the years. Thank you for this beautiful reflection.
Poignant and beautiful. Make me think of T.S. Eliot. "We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time." I so resonate with your hybrid nostalgia and the complexities of being raised under the veil of denial. Indeed, they "did their best."
Thank you, Stephen. The older I become, the easier it gets to forgive my parents. And/or, maybe, it’s the process of self forgiveness that lends itself to forgiving others. The experience of the Depression shaped our family life, too, forging a psycho-emotional foundational Shadow in me from which I continue to learn... and from which I have received, and continue to receive, many gifts.
That first lake visit of you with your family feels like a profoundly precious gift. It became a “call” to return to an area of fond foundational memories and a place to call Home.
Excellent and timely article. Yesterday I had to be in West Haven for a wake. After I decided to take a drive down memory lane as well. I headed to Savin Rock a drove by the now closed Jimmy’s and east to the beaches. Along the way I was trying to visualize the rollercoaters, bumper cars, fun house, arcade, etc. While the visuals are no longer there I could still feel the sensations of terror on the rollercoaster, the whiplash when my brother smashed into my with his bumper cars. And I can recall the smell and tastes.
I was struck by the idea that certain places continue revealing our earliest formation long after we believe we have outgrown it. Perhaps memory is not trying to return us to the past, but to help us recognize what has remained faithful beneath all the years. Thank you for this beautiful reflection.
Poignant and beautiful. Make me think of T.S. Eliot. "We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time." I so resonate with your hybrid nostalgia and the complexities of being raised under the veil of denial. Indeed, they "did their best."
Thank you as always, Elaine.
"What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make an end is to make a beginning..."
Just happened to have that one in the bedside stack. I so appreciate your deep reads.
Great read sir 👍
Thanks so much!
Thank you, Stephen. The older I become, the easier it gets to forgive my parents. And/or, maybe, it’s the process of self forgiveness that lends itself to forgiving others. The experience of the Depression shaped our family life, too, forging a psycho-emotional foundational Shadow in me from which I continue to learn... and from which I have received, and continue to receive, many gifts.
That first lake visit of you with your family feels like a profoundly precious gift. It became a “call” to return to an area of fond foundational memories and a place to call Home.
Most certainly forgiveness of self has primacy. Gosh, but that’s so true. And yes, that primal shadow is a gift indeed. Perfect.
Excellent and timely article. Yesterday I had to be in West Haven for a wake. After I decided to take a drive down memory lane as well. I headed to Savin Rock a drove by the now closed Jimmy’s and east to the beaches. Along the way I was trying to visualize the rollercoaters, bumper cars, fun house, arcade, etc. While the visuals are no longer there I could still feel the sensations of terror on the rollercoaster, the whiplash when my brother smashed into my with his bumper cars. And I can recall the smell and tastes.
Thanks for the memories.
An outcome of this piece I could only dream of...thank you, brother.
Loved this descriptive sentence concerning the essence of time..." It's true to say that these thin places can be benevolently dismissive of time".
Thank you for sharing your intimate moments growing up and the memories