Nostalgic & Other Stuff in meh...

Whenever I get on the train on days I go to school, I see the history of my city. I forget to take pictures, but usually my phone is dead so I can’t. I’ve done the research sort of. I love history. I love knowing origins. Sure it’s useless facts to one person, but it helps feed my curiosity. Gives me something to be curious about.

Riding the train I get to see the old industrial side that St. Louis was. This was a highly industrial city. How we managed to escape Detroit like ruin I don’t know. I guess we made up for it with racial isssues that still knock on the door today. I pass by the vintage trolley waiting to be used. I see the first St. Mary’s Hospital building in decay. Lots of architectural history here as well.

As the train goes into the tunnels underground, I wonder how old the brick work really is. That’s why we have a light rail system now. Someone went poking around under town and found all these wonderful old tunnels. And the MetroLink was born. We had street cars, but I’m guessing everyone did. I want to know the route of the Hodiamont Track system. That was like the last street car used up until the late 60’s. Then all the buses. Hodiamont was up the street from the house I grew up in. We always called it “the tracks” even long after the tracks were no longer in use. A bus use to run on that strip, then it stopped, then it started back and then they got rid of the line altogether. I wish they hadn’t. I would love to ridden it now that i can appreciate it. I think I rode that bus one time and that was after I had finished being a debaucherous little devil. LOL

I had a moment that I don’t know where it came from. I thought of my grandfather today. I think of him a lot, but I thought about him today. The look he gave me when I said, “Papa, your eyes are blue!” He looked at me like girl get out of her or whatchu talking ‘bout? lol I loved my grandfather so much. I wish my son knew him. My son would have loved him. He passed away when my son was only 3 months old. A week after my birthday. I was devestated.

I never think about death until someone dies. I don’t think about age or life limitations. I think all the time in the world is at my disposal. When those close to me die that’s when mortality hits me. When my grandfather’s baby sister passed away, I cried so hard. I thought about how she was the last of that generation in our family. On my dad’s side, my grandmother passed like 6 months after her sister. That was harsh loss. My mom’s mother passed away, then aunt Dora (grandfather’s sister) then my grandmother’s sister, Ree, then grandmother. After Aunt Ree died, I didn’t take any of the kids. By that point there was just too much death in the family and I couldn’t handle it. I took gbaby with me though. He wasn’t any trouble.

But after the last of my grands generation was gone, it made me think about my mom’s generation. A childhood friend of mine, I recently discovered, her mother passed away. The service was today, but I couldn’t go. I sent flowers to her though. It’s the least I could do. I want to ask her if she would like to go out on Saturday, but I’m thinking that would be totally inapprops. A coworker’s husband died as well. I got to see her yesterday and gave her a great big hug and let her know I was praying for her. Death, the thought of it, always opens up such a Pandora’s box of things in my head and I want to share them without people always trying to convince me. Fact is there is no way to know somethings unless you go through them. ::shrugs:: Oh well.

I guess I’m done now. Have a wonderful weekend.

Kindest regards & thoughtfully yours,
Sister