Photo by James Roland city-data.com |
Medical Center with downtown in the background. I live on the west side so this is not my view but still a cool picture Houston cultutemap.com |
McCamey Badger Band at contest photo by gosanangelo.com |
Photo by Barclay Gibson texasescapes.com |
My big city hometown of Houston is somewhat unique compared to other major cities in that we don't have zoning restrictions. There are some deed restrictions in the planned communities but for the most part, if you live in Houston you can find just about anything anywhere. Only a about four blocks away from here, in a random parking lot, behind the high school, next to an abandoned building and down the street from several mechanics and a drilling company there is a Dairy Queen. Making lemonade out of it's lemony-fresh location, this Dairy Queen does a very brisk lunch business and then locks up each evening like Fort Knox with accordion steel sheeting that wraps around the building on 3 sides. It has an old style drive through and the grass from the neighbors hard is starting to reclaim the parking lot in the back. Every once and a while I find a way to go to that Dairy Queen and all of a sudden I am back in McCamey. It doesn't matter what I order, if the food is from Dairy Queen then I'm back home. Too bad that McCamey lost it's Dairy Queen years ago.
McCamey High School Football Stadium photo by Bob McSpadden texasbob.com |
I could be absolutely anywhere in the world alone or with friends and if the right song is played I am right back in McCamey. When I hear a song from the musical "Grease" I am with the youth group traveling back from Paisano listening to the cast recording. If an old Garth Brooks song shows up on the radio then I'm on a debate trip with Ms. Phillips. When I hear any song by Chicago I'm on a victorious basketball bus in the middle of the night between Ozona and McCamey listening to Beth's Chicago CD. Any songs by Guns and Roses, Def Leopard, Boys II Men or Bon Jovi remind me of all the hours I spent in the homes of my sweet friends frying, fixing our hair and talking about boys while we watched MTV. If I ever hear the UB40 cover of "Red Red Wine" I am instantly filled with dread because I'm in the locker room tying my shoes in preparation for the 7th grade basketball practice I both loved and hated. With just a few songs, I'm reminded of 100 more that are each more than equal to the task of taking me right back home to place and time that while far from perfect will always be precious.
"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."
Philippians 1: 3-11
8 comments:
Bonnie, Red red wine has totally different memories for me - I always think of a particularly happy New Year's eve party way back in the 80's.
I enjoyed your post. :-) I know the feeling of being back home.
And I love your blog title!
Happy 4th of July to you!
Neat story! It makes me think about growing up in a small Indiana town. I too was a small town girl, but as one, like you, have ended up living and liking big town life more than the small town I grew up near. Sometimes I hunger for the farm life again, then I remember what I'd miss about city life.
I enjoyed your blog entry! I miss my small hometown but not so sure I would ever move back there.
Thank you for your post and have a great holiday!!
Funny because every time I see the movie Grease or hear a song from that movie I'm transported back to your house. House full of girls singing and dancing and doing each others hair. Sometimes it was for a girl Scout slumber party...others just a regular slumber party. All great memories!
Funny because every time I see the movie Grease or hear a song from that movie I'm transported back to your house. House full of girls singing and dancing and doing each others hair. Sometimes it was for a girl Scout slumber party...others just a regular slumber party. All great memories!
B - I agree - I've got loads of memories of us singing and dancing to Grease at my house growing up and of course Girl Scouts! I'm smiling just thinking about it! As it turns out one of the last summers that I spent in McCamey we listened to the soundtrack on the way from camp.... I wasn't the one who had the idea :) AND when we got back to town, everyone hopped out and jumped on top of the van while we danced to Greased Lightening..... BIZARRE but fun!
Gorgeous entry, Bonnie. Reminds me of small-town life in Taylor. You could hear the band all over town on Friday nights. If the windows were open (or if the wind was blowing just right), I'd fall asleep to the sound of a train whistling through downtown. I can't believe McCamey doesn't have a Dairy Queen! What's a small Texas town without its ubiquitous stop sign?
Thanks Grammergirl! Thanks for reading my posts, your input is important to me! See ya Saturday!
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