home
over the the past two years, "home for the holidays" has taken on a whole new meaning. coming home from college was very different than coming home from...home.
in a way, i feel trapped in a strange limbo i can't quite articulate. if home is where the heart is, then perhaps my heart is broken in two. there is a safety and comfort in the home i grew up in, and of course in the traditions and time shared with my family and friends, and there always will be.
coming home to md, i still manage to see many of the familiar faces i grew up with during the developing years of my life. and, with the exception of those who i have chosen to keep closest, the concept of a reunion with these acquaintances from the past is an interesting phenomenon, to say the least.
for those who i've called friend, at one time or another, i have a genuine interest in catching up with, or at the very least, touching base with on life every now and again. it's always fascinating to compare those that have changed, to those who are the same. those who are authentic, to those who are not. those who are trying in life, to those who are trying too hard.
my class did not have a five-year high school reunion which was supposed to have happened this past year, and i can't say that i am disappointed. the various gatherings at the bars in bel air on the night before thanksgiving are more than sufficient at this point. i believe that not enough time has yet transpired to allow the majority of these people from our past to fully achieve their goals and develop into something real.
while my entire life has changed over the past five years (for the better), i have noticed that so many others have so many miles to go. some are trapped in a different sort of limbo between high school and life--victims of circumstance or their own volition. success has little to do with where you live or where you've been or the size of your salary. it is, in fact, the product of ambition and satisfaction, neither of which i am here to define.
i respect those who have "made it" and those who are trying. i applaud those who are genuine, and those who are content. i despise those who are lazy, and those who are fraudulent. and perhaps best of all, save one time a year, i have little reason to care one way or the other about any of it.
for this reason, and more, i am truly grateful on this thanksgiving.
in a way, i feel trapped in a strange limbo i can't quite articulate. if home is where the heart is, then perhaps my heart is broken in two. there is a safety and comfort in the home i grew up in, and of course in the traditions and time shared with my family and friends, and there always will be.
coming home to md, i still manage to see many of the familiar faces i grew up with during the developing years of my life. and, with the exception of those who i have chosen to keep closest, the concept of a reunion with these acquaintances from the past is an interesting phenomenon, to say the least.
for those who i've called friend, at one time or another, i have a genuine interest in catching up with, or at the very least, touching base with on life every now and again. it's always fascinating to compare those that have changed, to those who are the same. those who are authentic, to those who are not. those who are trying in life, to those who are trying too hard.
my class did not have a five-year high school reunion which was supposed to have happened this past year, and i can't say that i am disappointed. the various gatherings at the bars in bel air on the night before thanksgiving are more than sufficient at this point. i believe that not enough time has yet transpired to allow the majority of these people from our past to fully achieve their goals and develop into something real.
while my entire life has changed over the past five years (for the better), i have noticed that so many others have so many miles to go. some are trapped in a different sort of limbo between high school and life--victims of circumstance or their own volition. success has little to do with where you live or where you've been or the size of your salary. it is, in fact, the product of ambition and satisfaction, neither of which i am here to define.
i respect those who have "made it" and those who are trying. i applaud those who are genuine, and those who are content. i despise those who are lazy, and those who are fraudulent. and perhaps best of all, save one time a year, i have little reason to care one way or the other about any of it.
for this reason, and more, i am truly grateful on this thanksgiving.
posted by mark at 5:45 PM
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