Some things never change!

I returned last night from a trip to the city where I was born. I went there to spend time with 2 people who have been consistantly important in my life. My cousin Karin is about a year younger than me, and my Aunt Bonnie, was the wife of my uncle for 18 years. From the time we met her, around age 20 (her, we must have been 5 and 6?) she has been the person we wanted to be. For a number of reasons Karin and I had wanted to spend time, "just the 3 of us" at this point in our lives. It was possible for all of us to do this last week. There is much to say about how wonderful this was. My blog today is about the feelings that driving around Cleveland Heights brought up. Many of the buildings and streets were the same! It makes me feel grounded and happy and amazed. I love the fact that buildings are not knocked down so that boring places are built there instead. Even the new Casino is housed in the former Higbee Department store downtown. I was excited to see the Cedar-Lee movie theater lobby was THE SAME! Sure the carpet has been replaced and the walls painted, but that lobby is the same as when I went there over 50 years ago! The original theater is the same one, but in cut in two. The stairs as steep as ever, the "make out" balcony: still there too. The newer theaters are in the old Clarks restaurant. The Cleveland Art Museum, still greets one with Rodin's bronze "The Thinker". It all validates who I am somehow....I am affirming that this was all real, I was there, I existed in a time and place that I loved!