June 30, 2008
It feels as if I've been away from Hoboken for months, even though it was Wednesday when I boarded the plane for Pensacola and rented the car to take me to Fairhope.
I decided to spend a week here surrounding the auspicious date (today) of the closing of the sale of my house, a beautiful little Craftsman cottage which will almost certainly be remodeled beyond recognition by the new owners. After the closing I'll share some champagne with friends and work on the saying goodbye to an old life and hello to a new. With the money from the sale I'll have a little more to live on in Hoboken.
The days leading up to this have been complex, or as my cyberfriend Steve put it in a comment on my Fairhope blog (linked above), "bittersweet." I don't think I'll never come here again, but I am putting Fairhope and Alabama behind me without a second thought.
I lived for some 15 years in Manhattan, in the 1960's and 70's, and then again in the mid-80's for about two years. That always felt like home to me, although without a doubt, Alabama and Fairhope in particular, raised me and made me what I am. I am completing my second book about Fairhope and if I ever write another book, I don't think it will be about Fairhope.
It's just that New York was one of the few things in life that was just like it was in the movies. Hoboken wasn't in that many movies, but it's more affordable these days, and near enough for me to get my feet in the city across the river as often as I like. If you read this blog fairly often, you get a feeling for what I like about Hoboken.
I love my new life, and, with this trip, realize that I loved my old life too, until I couldn't stand it any more. More on that in later blog posts, and many many posts about it on the blog linked in the first paragraph. Feel free to browse that one to your heart's content, and to order a copy of the book in the second link, and to wait with bated breath my next blogpost...or my next book.
6 comments:
You can NEVER go home and expect to find it the same way you left. Times change and people change and so do cities change. I realize that when and if I ever go back to Hoboken it will not be the same as it was when I left it. Certain things might be the same such as gov't, city problems, etc. BUT in general everything changes, just as we do.
THIS anonymous is not me, your faithful Hoboken B & R anonymous.
True, things change. But I still drive 15 miles from Teaneck to Hoboken every Sunday morning to attend Mass at St. Francis Church.
We still use (ugh) Sinatra Park for movies & special events. We still go to the St. Anne's feast and the Italian American Feast held on the waterfront.
Yes, Hoboken has changed, but the HEART of Hoboken will never change!
And I'm changin' my blog name to DOWNTOWN CHICK.
I don't think I expected to find home the same. Did I say that?
I know damn well everything changes. I'm reminded of that fact every time I look in the mirror.
I like it here, I like it there, but it is different.
I'm sure Downtown Chick was one of them lovely chicks that once hung out at BIGGIES, in the 50s...and caused JIMMY ROSELLI to lose his temper...and made the mob cry. I'm sure time has mellowed her...and she has many fond memories to share of hoboken. I can't wait to see what she will write next...I'm sure she remembers the St. Michaels dances ...and knew EDDIE THE CRIMINAL at Able's (well, just maybe?).
You've got a good attitude, Mary Lois. I'll be interested to read your entries on what was good about leaving this old life.
St. Michael's dance!! I met my husband there in 1957. I was 17 and he was 24. Still together after all those years.
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