It was 5 years ago today that I returned to Boston.
It was 5 years ago today that I returned home.
A home I never wanted to leave.
I wasn't born or raised here but make no mistake, this is home.
OK, I live across the river in Cambridge and am a stone's throw from Somerville.
But both cities are connected with Boston. In the case of Cambridge, it is separated from Boston by the Charles River as you can see above.
I can tell without equivocation or hesitation that I have had the happiest 5 years of my life.
First and foremost, life at work is above and beyond my wildest expectations. When I returned to start yet another job as a law firm records clerk, I had no illusions of being promoted much less getting to go on business trips to New York or a conference in West Virginia. Yet these things happened.
Above all else, I am in a job where my word and deeds are respected and valued. I do face stressful situations from time to time, but do not feel overwhelmed when they arise. I feel confident that I can address whatever comes at me and am not afraid to seek advice when necessary. Seldom in life are one's expectations exceeded. With that having happened, I am savoring this satisfaction for as long as I can.
As for my personal life, I am content with it. While it has not exceeded my expectations, I do not feel any despair. My life away from work is more or less my own. I walk, swim, go candlepin bowling, visit Walden Pond, search for an orange cat at Harvard, take in the occasional concert and attend as many old movies at the Brattle & elsewhere as I can.
Most of these activities are done by myself which is fine with me. I enjoy my own company. But it is nice to get together with people from time to time. Typically, I meet people for lunch once a year during the spring and summer months. Tonight, I went to my old stomping grounds in JP to have dinner with my old neighbors Monica and Stef at the Noodle Barn. They were kind enough to put me up for several nights when I returned on this day 5 years ago. Given the occasion, a reunion was in order.
Meeting new people is a difficult proposition especially as one gets older. The only person I've truly met over the past five years was a fellow named Bill whom I first encountered at a showing of Fanny: The Right to Rock. He was a Fanny fanatic when they were making records. We've had brunch a couple of times and last summer he did persuade me to attend my first Red Sox game at Fenway Park since 2018.
While it would be nice to meet other people, I must admit I am not always in the mood to talk. This was the case when I went to the Kendall Square Cinema to see the Paul McCartney documentary Man on the Run back in February. Some fellow sat next to me and asked if I bought my ticket at the last minute. The manner in which he posed the question rubbed me the wrong way and I politely indicated I had no desire to engage in conversation as the movie was to begin. My loss? Perhaps. But there are times I do prefer my own company even in a crowd of people.
Naturally, I have had more than my share of annoyances and inconveniences. Most of these are short term and resolvable. Although I did not get to see Emmylou Harris in concert, I did get my money back when I enlisted the help of the Massachusetts Attorney General. I would also get my $100 in lottery winnings after the store from which I bought the ticket wouldn't give me the money.
Alas some annoyances and inconveniences are more serious than others and not to easily resolved. There was my kidney stone ordeal and federal jury snafu. I got through them but not without considerable pain and stress. The memory of these episodes lingers.
Another source of ongoing stress is the authoritarian behavior of the Trump Administration and the increasing public acceptance of anti-Semitism. Both things especially the latter sometimes makes my chest feel heavy and I need to make a point to slow down and regroup.
What enables me to cope with these things is the fact that I am in and around Boston. The reality is that I would be dealing with these serious problems no matter where I called home. I am simply better able to make the best of the situation within the range of the 617-area code.
With that, I look forward to what Boston, Cambridge & Somerville and the surrounding area have in store for me in the next 5 years.
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