Drive down memory lane

This long weekend I had to drive up north- to NJ to receive our own Seren. It was the same place I landed 10 yrs ago. I had to drive to Oak Tree Road to pick up some groceries- mainly because I had the time and the prices were definitely worth the time and effort. Despite having a long list of things to buy, I was done quite early and I had a lot of time to spare. My next appointment wasn't for nearly an hour or more.

That being the case, I decided to do something I hadn't done in a while. I decided to drive through my old apartment community. My first place some 10 years ago. A thousand memories came flooding about those first few winter months when I moved into the country and the area. As I drove through those roads that led to my apartment, everything seemed to be the same, yet different(if that is possible). The mall across from my apartment is just as busy today as it was back then, the streets have gotten busier, all the friends I knew who once inhabited the surrounding apartments have all moved on..some to different states and cities, some have moved back to India, most of them in homes of their own- well settled- that's the word.

As I drove along, soaking in the sight of the weathered buildings and the well worn roads, I realized that its not these that hold a lot of significance through the years, its not these that make for memories. What makes for memories are the people, the events like the first walk to the mall to buy clothes, the first snow that made commutes into NY range anywhere from 2 hrs to 4 hrs depending on the pileup. I remember looking up bus schedules, figuring out where to get in and where to hop off. I remember checking out Indian stores on Oak Tree Road- the closest one can get to being back home. My first bank account, the driving lessons, the driving test(parallel parking, ugh!)...so many firsts all coming gushing out like a waterfall. 30 mins later, I felt I had traveled an era, an era of memories.

See there never is a good way to go down memory lanes, is there? There is always a tinge of sadness...at how much time has passed by. Where you started and where you are at now...and there's still miles to go, experiences to gather, people to meet...and more memory lanes to come back to.

So with that I headed to the airport to pick up Seren. And Seren, I hope you get to grow old and I hope this opens the gate to a lane that gets built over time, with experiences and episodes that make for a warm and welcoming memory lane...for you to drive through many years from now and emerge out of it with a smile, a tear, a wry grin or perhaps just a nod of the head to acknowledge the rite of passage in time.