Roots

It has been exactly six years since I last visited my home town of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The reason for my visit was to attend my 50-year high school reunion. My week there reminded me that so much of my past had been transformed over those 50 years. Both the elementary and high schools I attended were now parking lots. I thought it might be interesting to stop by the first school where I taught for seven years. The receptionist had no idea who my former colleagues were and the school had been remodeled to where I hardly recognized it. Forbes Field, where the Pittsburgh Pirates played so many of their home games, was now a classroom building on the University campus. On the plus side of my visit, the Cathedral of Learning had been cleaned of decades of grime to reveal golden-hued limestone. I was blessed to be given a tour of the 31 Nationality Rooms that ring the first and third floors of the Cathedral of Learning. Because classes were not in session at this time, I could visit every room. Classes were actually held in these rooms and I recall the many lectures I attended within their walls. With so many changes that had taken place, I wondered what they meant to me in the present. What I take with me are the wonderful memories of the city where I grew up. These are my roots. They contributed to shaping who and what I am today. What were your roots like and what part did they play in your life today?