To Be, Or Not To Be…
I’ve just gotten back from a trip to Houston. I really had a good time. We went to Houston for the weekend because a friend was getting married. And as weddings go, since he was busy with the last minute details, I didn’t get a chance to hang out with him much. So, I did the next best thing, I hung out with some of my other friends who came for the wedding and even some that didn’t. We had a great time. I hadn’t seen Matt and Talmon since moving from PA, and it was great to hang with them again. It was even better because now they are best buddies since I moved from NY. So, what does it mean that my friends start liking each other after I move away? (I try not to think about it.)
In the process I discovered that Houston is almost a brand new city. For some time I have been hesitant about moving back to Houston because it would feel too much like moving back home. You know that feeling, been there done that. I never wanted to move back to what would feel like the same old dead end. Don’t get me wrong, I really like Houston. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good place to live. I guess I’m sort of like the small-town boy who leaves home to see the “Big Beautiful World” out there and is not sure he’ll ever fit into that small-town life again.
However, I was somewhat surprised to find that Houston is more than I remembered it to be. For instance, we went out to a small mostly outdoor cafe for desert and drinks and I really enjoyed it. It reminded me of hanging out at cool little places like that in Manhattan or out in Queens. The strange thing is that the cafe or at least something like it may have been there before I moved away from my small-town Houston life. So, this of course begs the question: Did Houston really grow and change or was it I? Maybe a little of both. In addition to all the new neighborhoods I saw popping up around town, I also saw quite a few new buildings down town.
Quote: “See that nice tall domed building over there, Never seen it before in my life.”
And what they did to Main Street is amazing. I remember Main being a congested street with plumes of black smoke pouring out of the myriad city busses that reside there. But now there are slick new trains that run up and down the beautifully cobble stoned expanse that is now Main Street. All I could say is Wow!
I could almost see myself living in a cool little condo near down town riding my scooter to and from work on beautiful warm days. But then there is that fear again. What if I got there and the newness lasted for all of one month, and I start feeling like I’m suited for something… more… Whatever that more would be. How could I possibly go about extracting myself from the boredom of a hum drum life? I mean, do I remain safely away from my small-town and keep exploring and discovering life out in the “Big Beautiful World” always coming back to visit with friends that I miss? Or, do I settle down back home with the people I have come to know and love, yet long for the adventure and discovery that was part of a life gone by. There in lies the question:
To be [home] or not to be…
Music: Brand New, “I Will Play My Game Beneath The Spin Light”