Though the morning may be cloudy, it is warm and somewhat bright. It is actually 72°, for the first time this spring. I was out for a bit on the deck without my sweatshirt. It felt like a sort of seasonal freedom. 

When I was a kid, the future was a day away though I did keep track of how many days to the big events like Christmas, Halloween, my birthday and the end of school for the summer. I woke up every day, got dressed, ate breakfast, walked to school, sat at my desk for hours, walked home, changed out of school clothes and played until supper. I never thought my life was

repetitive. Every day seemed to bring something new. This time of year I watch the buds on the trees over the sidewalk turn into bright green leaves. I saw the shoots in gardens grow tall. I saw the buds appear. They were my favorites as soon enough yellow and white dafs bloomed and chased away drab winter. I sometimes skipped on the way to school. It felt joyful. 

I haven’t been back to my hometown for a long time. I haven’t been off cape. When I used to visit, I’d get off the exit where Spot Pond and the pool were. I liked to take Main Street all the way through the square. I never thought about it being called the square when I was growing up, but when I was older, I realized it was actually a square with a police box in the middle. We also used to call it up-town. Boston was in-town. I liked to remember what used to be there, in the square. Long gone are Woolworth’s and Grant’s, Hanks Bakery, the drug stores, the shoe factory, the small rectangular restaurant beside Finnegan’s Men’s Clothing Store, the shoemaker and the fish store. The 1978 movie The Brink’s Job filmed scenes in Stoneham Square as it still looked a if it had been caught in the 50’s. Stoneham burns brightly in my memories. 

My dance card has been empty of late, but I really don’t mind staying home as I have books and movies to keep me company. Today I have a uke concert, and I’ve been resting up for it. I’m ready.

This entry was posted on April 25, 2025 at 12:53 pm and is filed under Musings. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Both comments and pings are currently closed.