Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Goodbye, Camarillo


I live in Oregon.
I left Southern California in 1986.
My brother, my sister, and I, have all fled the Sunshine State. (One of us has fled the country--this hemisphere!)

But I digress.

My parents have always stayed in the picturesque town we kids were raised in (or I should say, it once was picturesque. sprawl is quickly overtaking it). Tomorrow the parental unit is leaving Southern California, and moving to the next phase in their lives .

More power to ‘em.

But for me, that leaves no one to visit in the hometown. Where I’m from and was raised, has no purpose in my life for visiting again.

Does this seem weird to miss?

I don’t know.

But good luck Mom and Dad, with your move. Goodbye, Camarillo.
And your lemon trees,
and your avocadoes,
and your purple mountains,
and your sage brush in the hills.

As much as I wanted to get the hell out, through time,you've become so sentimental in my mind.

6 comments:

Kathryn said...

My mother left my home town in Pennsylvania to move here two years ago. I now have no reason to go back either. It IS kind of sad.

Joseph said...

While I was away on my mission, my parents almost moved to a new town. It sent a wave of panic through me unlike any I have ever known. Now that I'm an adult and have moved a gazillion times, I know longer have anxiety over it, but I do love that I get to go home still. I have a lot of memories to still capture and store away for future days.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post. My kids won't even let me leave the house they grew up in!!! (not that I really want to). But I know how you feel, there is something about being able to try and 'go home again'

~K!

Rozanne said...

Hmmm. If my dad moved out of my home town, I wouldn't miss it one little bit. I remember just champing at the bit my senior year in high school--I wanted to get out so bad. And it wasn't like I was some kind of pariah or anything. The town just had nothing to offer me, and I've never changed my mind about that. Of course, it had none of the charms of Camarillo. Unless you think Kmarts and car dealerships and lack of diversity is charming.

Does that make me a freak of the highest order?

Rigo said...

I'm a SoCal transplant as well. My brother still lives down there, but I don't visit very often. My childhood home is now an apartment complex, so I have no reason to reminisce.

Anonymous said...

we can always return to go to the mega outlet mall, I guess.

I, personally, will not and do not miss Camarillo.