sitting on the square

30 June 2012: You probably didn't notice that I removed all of my previous blog posts. They were terrible. Don't worry, this one is too. 

Tonight I am sitting beneath a maple tree on the county square. 
It's just now starting to cool off from a sweltering day that often teetered right around one hundred degrees. Unfortunately for my family and two thirds of the state, this was coupled with a power outage as a result of gnarly storms that occurred last night. 

My concept of a storm has changed as a result of living in Kodiak, Alaska. 
This storm was on par with a regular storm in Kodiak. The wind blew, the rain fell. The only difference is that Ohio is now in a state of emergency. 

Ohio is weak and unprepared for extremes in comparison to Alaska.
The trees whine, moan and eventually snap taking out mailboxes, stray dogs and an occasional power line on their way down. The electricity gives up at the slightest change in weather, and so do many Ohioans. 

I remember sitting around the radio as a youngster and doing the macarena (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlzwuFkn88U) as the broadcaster rattled off school closings after nearly every snow, regardless of accumulation. This year, I sat by a radio 5,000 miles away as feet and feet of snow accumulated without a single closing. 


Things are different here, in almost every possible way. 

We can't forget where we come from though. My parents were the first to be married on this square, about 25 feet from where I sit tonight. My first residence was across the street. The first memory I can recall was there- dancing in diapers and watching a record spin. We moved back to this square when my parents bought a restaurant here 9 years later. We lived above that restaurant and for two years the court square lawn was where I played. I even won the heavyweight championship of our pretend wrestling league literally right here. And now I write to you from beneath that same maple tree (still reigning heavyweight champion). I wonder what it was like when you grew up. Do you ever visit the places that make up your memories? Do you ever walk an old but familiar path? 

Only squares flee the square. bye. 



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