Where I come from.

Although I live in Chicago, for some reason I still know my roots are in St. Louis; when I think about what I left when I moved up here there were some things I do miss about “the Gateway to the Midwest” and some things I don’t.

If you have been reading “Snap. Shot.” for some time, you would know I loved the area where I grew up. I wrote one blog all about the garage of the house where I grew up; although I have no real allegiance to a garage, there were certain things about it that made for funny stories. Whether it was the window that someone (not me thankfully) drove through, the brick wall my Mom hit and it crumbled, or probably one of my favorites---the side of the garage where my sister (who had not ridden a bike in a long while) fell against. It was not only funny to see live, we have it on VHS tape!

There are other things about St. Louis that make me sometimes wish I was still living there---the Cardinals, the friends who live there, or just being able to have family around. It’s likely not to happen anytime soon, but I still have very fond memories about growing up in the heartland.

Now what do I not miss about St. Louis?

The weather. I know, I live in Chicago and I complain about the St. Louis weather? Have you been in St. Louis during the summer time? It’s miserable. Similar to stepping inside a terrarium, it seems to have its own little ecosystem. We used to have a terrarium in our house, I don’t remember who brought it into the home, but it seems fitting we had one in our home to remind us how humid it is outside.

I would miss not having certain professional sports. I am not talking baseball, football or hockey---I would really miss the NBA. Yes, that’s a bit over the top, but I do love the Chicago Bulls and I am determined to see them win another championship. I know can follow them anywhere I would live, but it’s kind of like following the Cardinals and not living there---something is just not complete.

That’s about it.

As my father gets older, and my Mom is now gone, I feel the need to be closer to the people who have molded me. Tomorrow is my Dad’s birthday, you will be reading more about that---but when you have lived away from your family for more than half your life, you do think about it. I do…and you…it was often in “Snap.Shot.”

The photo above was taken at Wrigley Field in Chicago; with Cub and Cardinal fans, there is no black and white. In the case of these two teams, it comes down to being “black and blue.”

Thanks for stopping by.