Musing on Dylan

Whenever I come back to my home town I feel a little bit like this Dylan lyric:

"You can always come back, but you can't come back all the way" (Mississippi, Love and Theft).

I think a lot of you folks will understand that sentiment. I spent 19 years living in one place and that place has moved on quite well without me. People have changed, places have changed, whole communities have changed. All it takes is the ride from the airport to realize that this isn't my home town anymore. I am just a visitor. This year I even run out of reasons to why I am not moving back (when people inevitably ask me that question). We have moved into the stage of "we love living in New York, it is our home and we are staying indefinitely." That being said I love coming home and spending time with my parents, brothers and friends. It really is such a privilege to have this time off and be able to spend it with my parents. It is especially great for the girls since they are getting to know their grandparents so well despite the distance. So thank you Mom and Dad for your charity and generosity in letting us stay so long and dominating your peaceful lives.

Usually after a while the itch to go home returns; right around the time I realize that am losing all sense of reality (this happens to teachers every summer). When this starts to happen this Dylan lyric starts to creep into my head:

"I'm going back to New York City, I do believe I've had enough" (Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, Highway 61 Revisited).

We will be flying in at night and I can't wait to see the Empire State and Chrysler buildings welcoming us home with their lights. If we are lucky we will get to see the George Washington Bridge representing our neighborhood. So here's to coming home and knowing that you are truly home. Reality awaits.