Thomas Wolfe wrote a novel some years ago that suggested that you can’t go home again…and he’s wrong. We just finished visiting my former home, Rapid City, South Dakota, and it was even more charming than I had remembered as a kid. The city has surely changed, but I bet it hasn’t changed as much as I have. I lived in Rapid from 1968 to 1971, and old pictures say that I was pencil-thin and had a bit of a moptop. Those words that haven’t been used to describe me since about 1980. But I do still use pencils and (occasionally) mops.
Last night near Main Street Square in Rapid, we had a lovely dinner at the Independent Ale House (who in the world wants partisan ale, anyway?). Apparently enjoying local fare means 46 beers on tap, Sicilian pizza and Greek Salad. The food was very good, the service great, beer selection excellent, and there was a moving display of beers that even included the date that the keg was tapped.
The opportunity to drive by my former houses and a few other significant places in or around town, like Dinosaur Park and Terry Peak Ski Area, was a strong draw.
Souzz was extraordinarily patient. She even repeated a few of my sister’s poses from 1968.
We raced through 50 years in the space of a single afternoon, such a whirlwind. I only lived here for three years, but it sure felt like home. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed at all.
Those pics of Suz and Meg are classic!