Jan 18 – Where were you born? Have you been back there since?
I really don’t know how to make this post exciting. I have no idea where this one is going to go, but I have a topic to write on and I’m trying to post more regularly….so here we go.
I was born in Memphis, Tennessee. My family lived in Marianna, Arkansas when Mom was pregnant with me. I was going to be a high-risk birth. I don’t know the specifics (I should probably learn more about that), but there were issues with the amount of oxygen I was receiving and the doctors knew I was going to be a “blue baby.” The small rural hospital could not handle my issues, so Mom was sent to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis.
Around the same time, my Dad had just taken a job as water superintendent of the small community of Crawfordsville, Arkansas. My family joined him in Crawfordsville in June, just 4 months after my birth. We’ve lived in a couple of houses in the little town, but the Geriatric Ward is the only home that I remember.
My entire life was spent in eastern Arkansas. When I was a teenager, trips to Memphis with my parents and older sister were more frequent. Now my hometown began to feel more like metro-Memphis instead of just the tiny town of 500 people — complete with caution light and 6 streets.
After venturing away to Southern California for 7 amazing years that I will forever treasure, I returned back to my parents’ home for graduate school. This was when I really became familiar with the city of Memphis. I was driving its streets daily, finding the best routes around town, and seeking out its hidden gems and forgotten treasures.
I suppose Memphis is like any other town of your childhood. While I was living there and feeling “stuck” with no hope of escape, I thought the city was the armpit of America. I could not wait to get out. Now that I have moved away, I find myself longing for the conveniences, excitement, and comfort the city afforded me for many years. Memphis — and to an extent, Crawfordsville — will forever feel like home. And that is why I return there every summer as soon as I can. I want to be surrounded by the familiar and the places that I have grown to love.
Livin' Life 