Recently I have been looking at apartments in the old neighborhood. A lot has changed in the forty years since I went to high school. Thomson Road is now twice the size. Balestier Road is half modernized and just behind there are tall condominiums that were never imaginable back in the day. With a few notable exceptions, Upper Thomson is one, things have moved in ways that often makes it difficult for anyone to connect to the past.
It has been interesting to rediscover views and vistas I have long forgotten. The occasional street, Westlake Avenue is one, seems just as it was. I have my doubts. I am sure my memory wants to believe this more than it is true. As I recently sat and reflected on the views at Lower Pierce Reservoir, it is as if I was fifteen all over again. I know I cannot go back. I have no interest in going back. But…just maybe I can be there is only in my imagination.
The refreshed link with tags in my memory coincides with Life’s whispers. Do you remember the God of compassion? Can you recall the Angel of Mercy? Are there any memory tags that take you back?
Exploring the hood reminds me that it is good to refresh one’s mind, especially if it has been awhile. David callout to God was applicable then and it is applicable to me now. “Refresh your memory of us – you bought us a long time ago. Your most precious tribe – you paid a good price for us! Your very own Mount Zion – you actually lived here once!” (Psalm 74.2)
In remembering, never presume that things are the same. Seeing things with open eyes, mind, and heart creates an opportunity to see what is left of the best as well as discover things new. It is an opportunity for More.
The familiar can be a foundation for something greater. In the day, heading out Upper Thomson was a gateway to rural lands. Things have changed. The story and opportunities continues to grow.
