Mockingbird and 75

I'm sitting here looking out the window at Hurricane Rita, and I'm thinking about how life is so different now for so many people. It makes me wish for what used to be....in lots of ways. I've been back in Baton Rouge since Easter, and things here are just fine, but I miss Dallas. I miss Dallas like I miss my ability to take long naps. A good friend of mine moved here from Indiana around the same time I arrived. We often talk about missing our previous homes, and about how things sometimes just don't feel "the same" here. That's part of life, right? Our aptness to adjust to change determines our success. But we can still allow ourselves to long for some other place.

Things I Miss About Dallas:

1. My friends. Friends that had really become my family. Friends that will never become less a part of me...regardless of location. They're all so unique...so different from each other. They were like my own personal breakfast buffet.....grits, danish, and juevos rancheros all on the same plate.
2. My bathtub. I lived in this really great apartment with a supercool bathroom. I had not only a standing shower, but a giant garden tub. I could lay in that thing for an hour at a time. Almost deep enough to doggie paddle in. Almost.
3. Shopping. I never really had much money to shop with, but I have never lived anywhere else that had a mall on every corner.
4. Saturday mornings at Corner Bakery. Cold weather outside....endless coffee, the newspaper, Cinnamon Creme Cake, people watching, and deep conversation.
5. My church. Unpretentious. Creative. Sincere.
6. The Angelica and Trinity Pub...two of my favorite spots in the city. Experienced both in one night is the preferred dosage.
7. Dancing...Salsa, especially.
8. How every outing was an event. When we went out, we WENT OUT. We planned ahead, dressed up together...it always felt like something more exciting than it actually was.
9. Concerts. Something worth listening to every night of the week, if you're intersted.
10. The variety of atmosphere. Every 10 minute drive takes you to what feels like a completely different city.
11. The downtown skyline. So pretty. There's a song by Ben Kweller that mentions the lights of Dallas...how seeing them as you're driving in gives you a sense of HOME. So true.
12. Museums. I never get tired of walking through art museums, particularly. A painting you've seen 50 times can be a totally new experience each time...just depends on how you look at it.
13. Parks. Every neighborhood in Dallas has a nice park. There aren't many here at all.
14. Driving. 30 highways in one city might not sound pleasant to everyone, but I loved it. Something about learning my way around Dallas gave me a huge sense of accomplishment. If you can do THAT, you can do anything. I didn't even mind the traffic most of the time.
15. The sunsets. Most consistently amazing ones I've ever seen.
16. Winter ice storms. There's only one or two every year. Perfect taste of winter. More than two gets old, and less than two just doesn't feel wintry.
17. Feeling connected to something so much bigger than yourself. Like going to a Big 10 University. It's similar to school spirit, but you get that feeling without having to endure pep rallies and cheerleaders.
18. Mexican culture. Realizing the insignificance of your supposed "majority" status is extremely refreshing.
19. Stimulation. Boredom was a rarity for me there. Even sitting at home, somehow, seemed colorful.
20. Festivals. Every month....something new. The themes of celebration focus on everything from Butterflies (in Grapevine) to Germany (in Addison), but somehow always manage to involve cowboys and beer.

Cowboys and beer. What better combination?