That which is no longer...

It again was fall, with rain. The dark, dead, doom of winter on the Great Plains was nearing. The true nature of nature was now showing its face. Willa Cather must have been Viking stock or of Mongolian breed. The pioneers who settled here had strength of machines. How would people of today survive 150 years ago? How would it have been possible without all our modern conveniences, our creature comforts? Where would my father be without his Homedics BB3 Foot Massaging Bubbler Foot Bath? -How could my mother live without her lighter? -How could my wife survive without her iPhone? -My mother in law without her remote control? –My sister’s doubles matches? -My brother’s airport access to TED lectures? -My sister’s Volvo that continues to break down? How could I go on for a single moment without a Grande Soy Latte Macchiato? I shudder island to think.

I was driving around this place last fall; the town on the Missouri that I was born in, raised in, remained in until my early twenties. I was emotional, driving my Dodge Stratus from Hertz. Hertz had the best deal on Kayak that day. This was the first time back that I was alone, the first time I had to explore, to let my eyes see the city with no distractions. My heart surprised me and was able to let in my childhood, my adolescence, my memories of a place I never really saw, rarely understood or cared about. It was an exciting slow ride in my Stratus…Foghat blaring on Z-92 FM. My parents had picked an amazing town; rolling hills, changing seasons, a large enough population with different races, with high and low economic neighborhoods, parks, libraries… funny how I never saw any of it growing up.

This place seemed to have taken off; the city and it’s new buildings. The trees had shot up, many still had leaves, were still full and I could see how strong they grew, would’ve seen more except the rain obscured and glossed my vision. Even the rain brought back memories of rain from my childhood…it’s smell reminded me of the slow incoming canopy of darkness and the cold days ahead that would sequester all life for months.

Driving west, crossing 72nd street on Cass, I drove behind the old Crossroads which was for sale. My father worked at Musicland there and told me once he met The Rolling Stones when they passed through. I continued west and came to the HyVee, which was never there. This whole section of town was never there, north of Cass. This was where Peony Park once stood! Where was Peony Park?! What had they done with Peony Park?! Someone will have to pay for this!!

Peony Park was our hometown Disneyland, our Six Flags, our Knottsberry Farm, our Arnold’s Park, our San Diego Zoo. Except it had man made swimming pool that took up about 10 acres smack in the middle, with sandy beaches around the entire watering hole, -slides, fountains, diving boards, diving platforms, swings, trampolines, volleyball, rafts and music. A monorail circled the pool throughout the day, -rollercoaster’s and rides and games surrounded the monorail. The park was a dreamland for me, and all children.

One summer day I was given some money to go by myself and buy an ice cream cone. The stand was packed with people and I was too little, I was lost and surrounded by adults. Then I felt a pinch, no worse, my arm was stinging, I didn’t know what to do other than cry. A woman had burned my arm with her cigarette. Generally when injured I was prone to screaming and begging to be rushed to the nearest hospital, but after she saw that she had burned me, she bent down in her white bikini and my tears and pain flew away. This stranger was the most beautiful woman in I had ever seen. Dark, long brunette hair, full lips and brown eyes, and a Coppertone figure straight out of Movie Star Magazine. She bought me two ice cream cones and I walked away in love for the rest of the summer.

For years I continued to look for her at the park…every time I was back at the pool, floating on my raft, laying on my towel, standing on line for ice cream, I kept an eye peeled. I was even looking for her now in the produce section as I stood over the Texas grapefruits inside the ordinary HyVee.