Brings a Tear to the Eye

This Land, Part 1: Donna's Diner

Melancholy is the feeling that came over me as I read this article. I grew up for an important part of my childhood in a small town on Long Island. The beautifully written article brought back memories of the many Mom&Pop businesses that dotted Main Street, including my own father's bicycle shop. We moved south, to the warmer climate and hopefully better life of south Florida in the mid-50's. From there I set out on my own to live in big cities and small, to see some of the world, to "make my fortune" as the fairy tale protagonists always did. I now live in a small city where nostalgia is the principal atmosphere. A small city much like Elyria but without the crumbling industrial base. A base dependent upon seasonal visitors.

I have read the comments and seen the blame that Donna doesn't assign. Life is full of ups and downs. We blame politicians, Big Oil, corporations but none of these caused the problems intentionally. None of these can flip a switch and make the economy return to what we thought it once was. Life was a struggle for my parents but I did not know it then, seeing only what a child sees. But it was not a struggle for me as it was with many of my contemporaries. I was fortunate, I lucked into a good job (one I enjoyed rather than just put up with) in an industry that survived and prospered through the economic upticks and downturns that seem to roll through every decade. I stayed employed, I earned enough, I had security. I still do.

I have come to believe that we have more control over our lives than we know. We define our lives by how we view the world.