Center Texas

Yes friends this is a picture I took in East Texas. For those of you who have the image of cactus and tumbleweeds, think west west west Texas. This place is beautiful! No wonder the Sasquatch have chosen it to hide in! This 4th of July weekend I spent with college friends of mine. The couple who live there arranged an impromptu get together live just outside of Nacagdoches. A group of us, mostly Texans, parents and kids, gathered in this town to eat, drink, fish, barbecue, lay out by the pool, relive our foolish younger years, talk about being parents while watching our kids shoot off various fireworks from the local stand. Relaxing.

The drive to my destination takes me through Nacagdoches which houses SFA, the college I attended for three years before going to the Art Institute and getting my degree. I had to take the obligatory drive down memory lane. Things always look slightly different than you imagine. Like the apartments I lived in when I did my first natural mind trip, they look a little different than I remember. Past the campus. Past the house I lived in with 4 girls and one guy! There are stories in that house. Like the neighbor who walked their cat on a LEASH! And the time we had a party, and a couple came out of the closet the next morning...etc. Now, off to my destination.

The town of Center has a Population of 5678. Now I had to look at that sign a couple of times. Did they make that one up? Somebody down at the DOT said, well, lets just do it and see if anybody notices? Shaaa...so its a small town. Got into town after following someone else's directions. Started having some beverages. We ate an appetizer dinner that night as we were talking so much about old times, and being parents no time to cook a meal. And yet the grill was lit, and wings were cooked, which begs the age old question, how many guys does it take to light charcoal? this day it was 5. Like cavemen. wish I would have had my camera at that moment. After that, it was the show of the local too expensive fireworks stand variety. Funny how when you become parents you worry about kids blowing their hands off, when all those years ago, you were the one trying to blow your hand off. My little son was hilarious. Whenever any thing popped he would shout, wow! and throw his hands in the air. He loves attention.

The next day was a long afternoon of golf and country club living. The pool water was very very cool! Yes, and a sunburn for me was inevitable. Another night of cooking and some various fireworks. By this time my little guy was exhausted. But mommy was enjoying listening to parenting stories, and more dissections of our mispent youth in Nacagdoches. We headed out to go to bed. Little man had gone so many miles in two days that he was worn out and couldn't go to sleep tired! Our last breakfast meal was melancholy with lots of hugs and last minute photo ops. And then we took off. With a promise to write, and have a get together next fourth of July at the Guadalupe river. Yes I love these people, and getting together every fourth of July with them would be fabulous! As we get older and lose touch with ourselves and our pasts, it is nice to have others around to remind us we once were young, and adventurous in a crazy carefree way. To those of you in this group who read this, know that you are special wonderful people. Thanks for letting me be a part of your world. I hope we remain in touch for years to come.