New Old Places

Dear Reader,

Have you ever lived in more than one area of the same city? I have had the pleasure of living in a few different places around Boston. Today, one of my jobs took me to Boston’s Fenway neighborhood (home of the Red Sox ball park). When I lived along Boston’s green line, I often passed through Fenway on my commute.

Today, instead of commuting through The area, Fenway was, in fact, my destination. To get to the location, I walked along a few back streets that had me weaving in and out of the main roads. Although I was aware of where I was going, I didn’t really think about the route. In fact, while walking through the back streets I found myself thinking, “oh, this looks familiar” without really knowing why.

Structurally, everything about the area was how I remembered it. However, my brain did not process everything through a simple ‘see it’ input, ‘remember it’ output mode. Instead, I processed everything through an emotional lens. Beacon Street, which runs straight to downtown Boston, reminded me of my long morning walks through the rain, snow, and cold. St Mary’s Street, which cuts through Beacon Street perpendicularly, reminded me of how I divided my commute in my head into shorter segments to make the distance more bearable. Crossing St. Mary’s Street used to be my indicator that I was very close to home. Seeing the Target in Fenway reminded me of my few trips there in which I meandered but never bought anything, because I was shopping on a tight budget.

My emotional filter is strong when it comes to my surroundings. My time living along the Green Line, although a nice area, was tough as it was a period of uncertainty for me. Returning to this area was like the opening of the mental flood gates.

Everything about the area looked the same, but better. This is because I am in a better place in my life now. It is like holding a snow globe. I once was confined inside my surroundings by an invisible dome, comprising my job, routine, and empty social life. Now I am holding the snow globe. I can simply glance in and behold the scene without having to experience.

Things literally and figuratively look different from a different angle. Today, I inadvertently took a trip down memory lane. We are very human creatures, Dear Reader, it can be oddly fulfilling to allow memories to flood back without having to feel bad or sad about them. Wishing you good times as always.

Love,

Raven