I’ve spent the past two months moving in and around the city of Detroit. Reconnecting with old faces. Meeting new people. Making connections. Friends. Placing roots even?!? Whatever I want to call this process it has been quite cathartic + educational.
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Of course, I am wildly curious about every story that I hear when I sit across the table with a new or old face, especially in how it pertains to the City of Detroit. It’s been fascinating to learn about so many people + about this remarkable city. But, I never stop to think about my own history + what this city has meant to me.
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Yesterday I drove up + down Woodward, Michigan, Grand River, Fort Street, Lafayette, Gratiot + ended up at the Joe Louis Arena. All these moments + memories kept bubbling up. I recalled second intermission Little Caesar’s pizza - us kids didn’t care much for the games until later. Skating after Dad’s practice in an empty Joe. Seeing my Father cry for the first time as he lifted the Stanley Cup. Singing the National Anthem. Hanging with Al Sobotka. Playing hide + go seek with the kids in the underbelly of the Joe. Learning the importance of reading from Scotty Bowman. The list goes on.
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I took a moment to sit with what I was feeling. Warmth. Safety. Comfort. Support. Familiarity. Belonging. Community. Family. Love. Is this what everyone feels when they speak of “home”?
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Home has been an elusive term in my life. It’s never felt like a reality no matter where I’ve gone- if it ever crept up I’d quickly dismiss it. Who me?! I do not place roots. No one, no thing, no place can hold me down. Sure the specifics of my childhood might seem different from yours but at the Core of everyone’s existence, the very feelings I mentioned, are the basic human needs we all long for + strive to cultivate.
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Yesterday, I found myself in the exact same spot where this picture was taken 20 years ago. I felt all the feels. I didn’t run. I stayed thinking maybe this is home. Roots are normal. Healthy even. I felt grateful to the people who saw me then + who see me now. Thank you for holding your arms wide open ❤️.