Back Home Again

I'm sitting on United Flight 929 out of Heathrow. I'm heading to Chicago and then on to Indianapolis. From there, I'm driving to the southern part of Indiana. I'm moving home.

A little while ago, a friend of mine suggested that perhaps I needed to rethink these journal pages and try to focus on the positive a little bit more. I've mulled over his suggestion for a long time, and I think I'm finally gonna put it into play with this little epistle. So, instead of my usual rant about all the crap that is going wrong in the world, I'm going to tell you about some of the positive things associated with moving back to Indiana.

First off, let's talk the weather. In London you have two choices of weather: gray and rainy, or gray and threatening rain. In Indiana, we have proper weather! We have weather with gusto! Spring brings electrical storms and tornados that cover the earth with so much raw power that sometimes your hair tingles. In the summer you can have temps in the upper 90's that go on for days and days, all under clear blue skies. In the fall the trees put on a show for all to enjoy. When they finally shed their flaming cover, the leaves fall in drifts that remind you of the snow just around the corner. The winter brings blizzards that sometime drop top three feet of snow in just one storm, and that's not even considering the drifts. We get drifts that can bury cars. Now, that's proper snow!

In Indiana, people get involved. During the past twenty years or so, I saw large portions of the community regularly get involved in projects for the greater good. Hunger awareness fundraisers, homelessness advocacy, war protests, clinic work, and much, much more. In addition to big projects, Hoosiers are also well known for helping out on a more personal basis. If a mother and her children were stuck on the side of the road with a breakdown, it usually wouldn't take more than a few minutes before some helpful samaritan would stop to lend a hand. People also help out in the schools, shelters, food banks, and elsewhere. Of course, it's not always like this. But more often than not, people help one another.

Another thing I love about the State of my birth is the wonderful forests and natural areas that we are so blessed with! In the south, we have woods that stretch on as far as the imagination. Resting on gently rolling hills, these old forests are the kind that a person could get lost in. And sometimes do. Personally, I find it magical to walk into the deep of the wood and listen to the sounds of God whispering to me through the branches.

I love the water. Lakes, streams, and rivers spot the State from end to end. We have the Saint Joe to the north, which is one of the only rivers in the northern hemisphere that flows north instead of south. I grew up on the banks of the Saint Joe and some of my best memories come from my days and nights steering the pontoon up and down my little stretch. To the south we have the mighty Ohio. If you had the time and the inclination, you could ride those waters all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. And heading north to south there is the mighty Wabash. Friends and I have enjoyed many an afternoon and evening floating in my canoe down its muddy waters.

Let me tell you about frozen custard, homemade at the Snow Bear. They serve it up in a number of flavors, all very tasty. But listen to a pro… To truly enjoy a frozen custard, you need to get a vanilla with at least two scoops. Don't be persuaded to put anything on it. No sprinkles or other such silliness. Just grab a spoon and eat it as God intended it to be eaten! You'll be hooked with the first taste.

And since one can't live on frozen custard alone, let's chat about the rest of the grub available in Indiana. To top the list, you can find the best Mexican food north of the El Paso. This will be especially welcome, as London has crap for Mexican food. I can't wait to step into Pepe's for a chili con queso with extra cheese and a side of quesadillas! Wash this down with a "jumbo lime – no salt" margarita, and you are soon in heaven. Wash it down with a "jumbo Cuervo Ultimate on the rocks", and you'll stay in heaven a little longer! Just make sure you bring a driver. You'll need one!

Sure, we have a lot of chain restaurants, but some of them do a darn nice job! I'm looking forward to Cracker Barrel's blackened catfish, and Max and Irma's chicken salad. Or, perhaps Einstein Brother's bagels for breakfast. Yum!

The best thing about coming home is the fact that I'll now get to see my family and friends a little more often. I won't name the names here. I've got so many special people in my life back in Indiana that a list would take up pages and pages. Suffice it to say that I'll be doing a lot of catching up with folks that have been long missed, but always present in my heart.

It wouldn't be fair to praise Indiana without at least mentioning all the great and wonderful people we have met in England. This morning when I closed the house door on Northcroft Road for the last time, I had to fight back a tear at all I was leaving behind. Sitting here on the plane, those tears are threatening once again.

Since I'm trying to keep this entry a little happier, I'm gonna close with one of many joyful memories of London.

Sharon and I were members of the illustrious Northfields Camera Club. Just about every Tuesday night the lot of us crazy shutterbugs would descend on the local community center and talk shop. We'd have contests, lectures, and just little social get-togethers. Afterward, Sharon and I would drag as many of the members as we could cajole down to our local pub for a pint or two. In my humble opinion, the folks at the club represented the best that British society has to offer. They are missed already.

We'll be back to England eventually. For now, I'll miss our friends there and celebrate our family, friends and other blessings back home in Indiana.


-Jess
(for Dave, the Yak bully)