They say you can never go home again

I agree

Published on March 11, 2005 By thatoneguyinslc In Travel

As a lot of you know (and some have figured out by deciphering my name) I live in Salt Lake City. But i'm not from there.

I was born in Phoenix back in 1968. My hometown has always been a place for me to change airplanes and little more. I have made a few trips down here in my youth, but none in the past 10-12 years.

So guess where my work assignment took me this week?

Yep...You guessed it!

Phoenix is 10 times the size it was when i was a kid. I have been driving around the entire valley doing work stuff all week and have visited pretty much every little neighborhood, and city. I am amazed at the amount of people here as well. WHERE did they all come from? What are they doing out here in the middle of the desert? What draws them here?

I called my mom and asked her what the address of our old house was, and she gladly gave it to me. We used to live in the North area of town,about three blocks east of Central Ave/Maryland, just outside of downtown (from what i can tell, Phoenix actually has TWO downtowns, the older part and all the tall buildings down by AmWest arena & Bankone ballpark). But a nice area nonetheless. So i popped the address into my trusty GPS and hit the road. I was shocked when i got there. From what i remember, we lived in a pretty nice neighborhood. Well, our subdivision still looks as it did. But it's the surrounding neighborhood that went to hell! I felt like i was in the middle of South Central LA for a second. What the hell happened??

So after that, i decided to find my old school. It's gone! Where it stood there are now houses. I know that it happens, but my heart sunk just a little bit when i realized it was gone.

I can also remember a time when there was nothing between Phoenix and Mesa. Now...STRIP MALL HELL! Again....Mini LA! Same thing with the freeways..WTF??

I can't knock Phoenix though. Everybody down here is how i remember for the most part. Very friendly and approachable. Most of the people i have spoken with and tell that i now live in SLC feel sorry for me being trapped with all those damn mormons. (They have a lot of LDS folks down here, but most of them live in Mesa.) And the snow...They must think SLC is in the frozen north 9 months out of the year.

Today is my last day here. I'll be back in happy valley this evening. I will miss Phoenix. But it's not the little desert town i remember.

I can't help but feel a little sad though.

Thanks for reading,
thatoneguyinslc

Comments

Sugar High Elf

on Mar 11, 2005

This really has nothing to do with your article, so I apologize, but I saw you had a link to Foamy.. and had to say cheers!

But, yeah, you're right... things never stay the same...

thatoneguyinslc

on Mar 11, 2005

Any Foamy props are gratefully acknowledged!

Stabbin your eye with a hot french fry!

BlueDev

on Mar 11, 2005

It is always interesting to go home. So much changes and so much stays the same. Going back to visit my parents in Bountiful, it is a weird cross between a stasis bubble and progress at the same time. I really don't know how to explain it other than a strange mix of feeling that nothing has changed, yet everything has. And now you are stuck with those Mormons. Man, I hate them.

Dr Guy

on Mar 11, 2005

I have had similar experiences, but instead of one place, I have several to go back to. The most 'awakening' was to go back to Oceanside California. A sleepy little town next to a marine base 35 years ago, it is now worse than your strip mall hell!

The least changed actually, was the first place I remember living. Other than an Interstate running over top of half the old neighborhood, it was pretty much the same.

thatoneguyinslc

on Mar 11, 2005

I went up to Layton to see a friend who isn't feeling well last weekend. I have to agree with ya doc!

And all those darn Mormons! They're EVERYWHERE! :

thatoneguyinslc

on Mar 11, 2005

i know what ya mean Guy. I was in Ocenside recently, and it's a totally different town nowadays.

foreverserenity

on Mar 11, 2005

It's always strange going back home, the changes are always surprising. You expect it to be the same but it never is. But really, seeing how the world is changing and population growing, people moving all over, why do I always expect it to remain the same? I guess it's just nostalgia. You want to have your childhood back. Old haunts, old friends. Alas, it never is because things change.

But like you, I'm always happy to get back home, no matter how much I love where I grew up. Home is where the heart is.

Trudygolightly

on Mar 11, 2005

So sorry to read of your discoveries.

I know that hurt, and sometimes, at least in my case, it feels confusing when one sees old home town things gone.
In 86 I "went home" and yes my childhood house was torn down, as was the grade school, and our first house,.
The real shock came when I went to put flowers on mom and dad's grave, I saw graves of highschool buddies.....
I think this is part of the continuing to grow process, yet a sad one.
Hope some real good things come to you soon now, I think that's part of universe unfolding......Trudy

thatoneguyinslc

on Mar 11, 2005

I kinda felt like John Cusack in "Gross Pointe Blank" when he found out his house was torn down and replaced with a convenience store.

Nexus Full

on Mar 13, 2005

Hey B-
this piece was particularly stirring.
it's funny that you found that sign with my name on it there, in your former hometown. I miss Salt Lake so much, and I miss you.
Love You,
Pumpkin
aka
Ms. Nexus

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