This story was originally written to be read at a writers’ retreat, and was later recorded for a Hometown Stories series on my favorite podcast, The Habit. You can listen to that recording here, and—as an added bonus—get three other extraordinary hometown stories on your way to mine.
Love this: "Astonishment is a gift, but it’s not where life happens. Life happens in cow pastures, in hallways, in lunchrooms—where everything feels just as dime-a-dozen as a table of teenage vampires." So true!
One of my home city's distinguishing feature seems to be that we have the biggest squirrels you'll ever see. (Everyone comments on this, from Ukrainians to Kenyans to Mexicans to Americans from other states). XD
I am still bowled over by the place you walked about in as one at home.
Across from the Southwest Baseball Diamonds where ALL six of my younger siblings played little league, a new strip mall sprang up which included a 14-screen cinema and a Russo's Books that my folks would let me browse at during many a double-header. I'm not saying whether I did, but only that it was possible to read whole books at the shop without paying a cent. I still own the complete paperback spin-off series of Dinotopia Adventures which I did pay for. Across from Russo's was a piano studio. Around the corner was a Thomas Kincade gallery.
Love this: "Astonishment is a gift, but it’s not where life happens. Life happens in cow pastures, in hallways, in lunchrooms—where everything feels just as dime-a-dozen as a table of teenage vampires." So true!
Thanks, Bethany! Do you have any dime-a-dozen wonders to share about your hometown?
One of my home city's distinguishing feature seems to be that we have the biggest squirrels you'll ever see. (Everyone comments on this, from Ukrainians to Kenyans to Mexicans to Americans from other states). XD
That is amazing. So do other people’s squirrels seem especially small to you?
Yes, other squirrels seem petite to me!
I am still bowled over by the place you walked about in as one at home.
Across from the Southwest Baseball Diamonds where ALL six of my younger siblings played little league, a new strip mall sprang up which included a 14-screen cinema and a Russo's Books that my folks would let me browse at during many a double-header. I'm not saying whether I did, but only that it was possible to read whole books at the shop without paying a cent. I still own the complete paperback spin-off series of Dinotopia Adventures which I did pay for. Across from Russo's was a piano studio. Around the corner was a Thomas Kincade gallery.
It’s like they built it there just for you!
This made me smile...and glad that I'm from Marshall County, which was a vampire-free zone.
I’m so glad you liked it, Josh! And I’m glad you were spared from the Creatures of the Night-- did you know you lived on such an edge of danger?
Of course, we knew. It was all WPSD talked about for 3 years! But we were thankful to be half a mile safely over the county line.