Why can you never go home again? Because you and home have both changed.
I was listening to a radio interview with Ozzie Smith, ex-All-Star-shortstop for the St.Louis Cardinals. He was being interviewed by radio talk show host Jim Rome. Ozzie had almost twenty seasons of amazing success with the Cardinals. While they spoke, Jim got into the topic of hometown status.
Apparently Ozzie had grown up in a very poor, very disadvantaged portion of a big city. He relayed to Jim that he feels that regardless of what the future holds, he will never be able to chase the past. Not only for practical reasons, but because he is different now. He has status. He has money. And he obviously had great career success. Once you go through that process, he said, you can’t go home again.
I’m from New Orleans. My family moved to Sacramento in 1987, when I was 11. I did not want to move. I enjoyed my school and friends. I was just beginning to create my own little niche in the world. So moving was extremely painful for me. But soon enough, I got into the groove of Northern California life, and everything was fine. Over the years, I have been back to Louisiana several times. I hang out with old friends, many of whom live in California now, ironically. We talk about old times, and what has happened to the city since. And there is always this huge gap. This huge gap in my mind between living there, and visiting there.
We all grew up with friends. Maybe the dynamic of your social circle changes as time goes on, but regardless of what you do, you can’t turn back the clock. Most people flock toward common ground. Others lose interest in you. But now, with the dawn of Facebook and Twitter, there is no barrier to staying in touch.
I do spend a lot of time on Facebook. Mainly because I am looking for an escape. I don’t work full time, so I have to fill my hours somehow. I have some close friends here in town that I see about every two months, when we play cards. But at this point in my life, I have my family, and that’s about it. I cannot revisit my youth. I cannot experience college again. The three years of quality dating that I got in before running into my wife are all I’ll ever have, hopefully. My “social circle” has changed so much, so many times, that looking back on it kind of makes my head spin.
As you walk through this experience, remind yourself that to really enjoy your friends, you have to be okay with the idea that one day they might leave, never to be seen again. This is something I have always struggled with. In fact, I have one old friend that I miss terribly, yet I know we are in such different worlds, that even an email does not work. However, now I have my wife and daughter, and the folks at my new part time job. Frankly...I love how things are going. We never have enough money, but that will resolve itself in time. And the friends I hang out with frequently, and the friends I hang out with rarely, and the ones I never see....they are all precious to me. Why?
Because relationships are more important than anything else! You can have a relationship with God....but it is much more fun to worship Him with great friends.
I was listening to a radio interview with Ozzie Smith, ex-All-Star-shortstop for the St.Louis Cardinals. He was being interviewed by radio talk show host Jim Rome. Ozzie had almost twenty seasons of amazing success with the Cardinals. While they spoke, Jim got into the topic of hometown status.
Apparently Ozzie had grown up in a very poor, very disadvantaged portion of a big city. He relayed to Jim that he feels that regardless of what the future holds, he will never be able to chase the past. Not only for practical reasons, but because he is different now. He has status. He has money. And he obviously had great career success. Once you go through that process, he said, you can’t go home again.
I’m from New Orleans. My family moved to Sacramento in 1987, when I was 11. I did not want to move. I enjoyed my school and friends. I was just beginning to create my own little niche in the world. So moving was extremely painful for me. But soon enough, I got into the groove of Northern California life, and everything was fine. Over the years, I have been back to Louisiana several times. I hang out with old friends, many of whom live in California now, ironically. We talk about old times, and what has happened to the city since. And there is always this huge gap. This huge gap in my mind between living there, and visiting there.
We all grew up with friends. Maybe the dynamic of your social circle changes as time goes on, but regardless of what you do, you can’t turn back the clock. Most people flock toward common ground. Others lose interest in you. But now, with the dawn of Facebook and Twitter, there is no barrier to staying in touch.
I do spend a lot of time on Facebook. Mainly because I am looking for an escape. I don’t work full time, so I have to fill my hours somehow. I have some close friends here in town that I see about every two months, when we play cards. But at this point in my life, I have my family, and that’s about it. I cannot revisit my youth. I cannot experience college again. The three years of quality dating that I got in before running into my wife are all I’ll ever have, hopefully. My “social circle” has changed so much, so many times, that looking back on it kind of makes my head spin.
As you walk through this experience, remind yourself that to really enjoy your friends, you have to be okay with the idea that one day they might leave, never to be seen again. This is something I have always struggled with. In fact, I have one old friend that I miss terribly, yet I know we are in such different worlds, that even an email does not work. However, now I have my wife and daughter, and the folks at my new part time job. Frankly...I love how things are going. We never have enough money, but that will resolve itself in time. And the friends I hang out with frequently, and the friends I hang out with rarely, and the ones I never see....they are all precious to me. Why?
Because relationships are more important than anything else! You can have a relationship with God....but it is much more fun to worship Him with great friends.