Back in the Day

I went home to Ohio this weekend to visit my parents and sister and to visit with my two grandfathers, ages 81 and 89. It was great to see everyone.

My parents have lived in the same house since 1988, when I was 13 years old. After we got home from dinner on Friday night, I walked down our driveway to pick up the mail. I don’t know if it was the pink light of dusk or the warm spring air or the fact that I’ve just rolled over my 33rd year on life’s odometer, but as I took a glance up and down the street I was hit with a sudden wave of nostalgia for a time long past: those first few summers that I spent in that neighborhood and the things we used to do.

I remembered the friends I had who lived there and the things we used to do together. From watching old Bruce Lee movies at JJ Johnson’s house, to listening to countless Rush albums at my drummer friend Scott Ross’ house, to listening to “Straight Outta Compton” for the first time at my next-door neighbor and friend Jenna Sammons’ house while our parents were at work and feeling like I was getting away with something, to the seemingly endless spring and summer nights we spent playing basketball in my lopsided super-steep driveway; they all came back to me in a flash, and it was wonderful.

They say that youth is wasted on the young and adults are always telling kids that those younger years are the best of your life, but I’ve always thought that was utter and complete bullshit. I think your life is what you make of it in the moment that you’re in, and I like to think that I still have my best years ahead of me.

But I tell you what… walking down that driveway Friday night as the sun was setting and the air was warm with that first hint of summer, I would’ve given anything to walk down to Scott, Jay, and JJ’s houses and put together a game of 2-on-2 that would’ve lasted until the combination of waning sunlight and the two 75-watt bulbs on either side of our garage door weren’t enough to let you see the rim anymore.

Those were definitely good times. And I miss them.