As I sit here in a small coffee shop in my old home town, I remember a time when I couldn’t walk down the street without someone stopping me to say hello – a place where faces were always familiar and friendly. It gives me a feeling of nostalgia which I haven’t felt in quite some time.

The town has changed, quite a bit since I was here last.  Many more restaurants and franchised stores adorn the streets. There are buildings and parking lots where I used to ride my bike, or go skateboarding. The two high schools in town have been merged into one…so many changes in such a short time.

That brings to another feeling…that of getting older. Although it feels like it was just a short time ago that I was here, in reality it was almost 13 years ago when I called this town home. Life has changed a lot for me in those 13 years.  I went off to school, had multiple jobs, and fell in and out of love.  I found the woman of my dreams, and married her.  I have moved TEN times (that’s right, ten times!). For some reason I thought that this place would stand still while I moved on, acting as my safe haven, where everything remained the same – always.  Apparently this little town matured, just as I did.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining one bit; growing older means gaining wisdom and experience. If I hadn’t lived the life I have thus far, I would not be the man I am today, and the same goes for my home town. Growing pains are inevitable, but it through that pain that we triumph, and discover ourselves. I learned how to be a better man and my little town learned how to become a small city.

So, can my home town still be that place where people stop you to say hello, and the faces are friendly and cheerful?  The answer is yes, thankfully. When I went for breakfast, I had a long chat with the ladies at the A&W.  It was not something I expected, but it was a great start to a very long day. While running errands downtown, I counted at least five people who took the time away from what they were, whether it be cleaning the store windows, or just passing on the street.

The faces here are still bright and cheerful, and its residents still take time out of their day for a quick chat, something that has been lacking in my life lately.  It may be that there are so many more people in a big city that finding a smile is fewer and more far between, or maybe it’s just this place, and that some things never change.

All I know is that if I can find a place like this to call home, every day will be just that much more pleasurable, and I am glad to be able to relive some of the past, and enjoy this day to its fullest.