MelikTravelLog: Homecoming That's Not a Dance

We do things that we have to do even though there is a level of wanting to. Things like going home to visit family – all those obligatory visits for holidays and special events. You don’t mind doing it but sometimes it’s like a chore is being accomplished. Then there are those times that you NEED to go home. Home is where people know your history. Home is where you are accepted because everyone knows everyone’s flaws. The advantage to that is that you never have to explain yourself. Having that knowledge of history simplifies greatly things. You never have to explain – back story. Home is where everyone just gets it.

For some reason Oscoda does not make it on many road signs.

I recently had to go home. I received an E-mail from my ‘mom’ that she wasn’t doing well with her asthma. She was back on medication and decided that she wasn’t cooking Christmas dinner. The last time I heard something on that level my biological mother was sent to the hospital and never recovered. I had some missed opportunities of which I didn’t take advantage. I couldn’t make that same mistake again with knowledge gained from experience.

Standish is the 'one hour left' point.

I rearranged my thought process from chilling at home in order to make the trek up north. Y’all know about up north don’t ya? Up north the land of jack pines, two lane highways, and Indian Lore. Up north where you describe distances in hours, not miles. Up north where turns utilize the shoulder of the road – including left turns.

That's correct ladies and gentlemen, you run out of freeway up north.

I needed to see my mom. I needed to be near people that knew me from childhood. I needed to be by people that didn’t need to ask questions about the past to understand the now. And I could tell how she reached out to me – she needed to see her ‘other son’. Besides I had no holiday dinner plans and I KNEW someone would have to step up. Guess who showed up just in time for dinner. Thanks brother Deke for making food for me – uh I mean us. Side note – they NEVER know when I’m going to show up but Deke pointed out that when I do it is usually just as the food is hitting the table.

The inner delinquent has to suppress the urge to vandalize this sign.

I was agitated while driving. It had been a week full of drastic ebbs and flows both positive and negative. I could say that it felt like I was emotionally speed balling. The stress was sincerely zapping my normal sense of chaos. When I was close to home, around about AuSable, it seemed like I was there was a bloodletting of the poison that was causing me to be tense, stressed and angry. My breathing didn’t feel like there was an elastic bandage wrapped around my lungs. I was home. I knew I would be welcome. I knew I would be allowed to just – be. I was thankful. It was very necessary.