Friday, October 23, 2009

Home Sweet Home

I'm asked all the time if I miss "home". The answer is definitely "no" since I'm a firm believer that "home is where you hang your hat" even if most of us don't wear hats any more. I say "most" because there's a whole lot of folks who wear cowboy hats around where I live.

Of course I know they're asking if I miss England. I haven't lived in England since the late 60's and things have changed a lot in the past 40+ years. I definitely miss things like the best Fish & Chips and Yorkshire pudding in the world, but more than anything, I miss the England I used to know. The only constant in life is "change" and, like everywhere else, life there is very different now. We don't even have British passports any more now that the UK is part of the EEC. I do try to go back "home" whenever I can. There are still a lot of places that have stayed the same for hundreds of years and I enjoy being there.   It's "comfort food" for the soul.

Being born and growing up in England however, couldn't help but leave an indelible imprint on my life. It's the early years that have a great influence on who we are and what we become. I've been around quite a while now and even remember when my dad brought home our first TV set. It was black & white, of course, and I remember shows like "Watch with Mother" and not being bothered a bit that Andy Pandy and Looby Loo slept in the same toy box. I remember entertaining myself by reading a lot, writing stories, drawing, painting and making things out of anything and everything that I could find around the house like pipe cleaners, nut shells and even leaves. My favourite supplies were shells and to this day I still have boxes upon boxes of shells I've collected from the past 50 years. It's no wonder that I've become the "itinerant crafter".

So, in answer to the question "do I miss home", I have to say "yes" and "no". On the one hand I am home, but "yes" I do miss the home of my childhood and treasure those memories dearly.

Yours truly,
Julie

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