10 or so years

Guest post by Kelby

So I've mentioned several times that I'd be posting on Hayley's blog more often, only to take frequent 10-12 month breaks in between posts.  I'll try to get better, but in any event...

So it's amazing what happens in 10 or so years.  I've been reminded a lot recently of this.  As I drove to Kroger last night on a late night run for supplies, I juxtaposed my trip to the grocery store at 10:30 pm with one I'd likely made 10 years prior.  10 or so years ago, I'd most likely have been going out on a Monday night for beer at Skinny's or Whataburger at 10:30 pm.  I'd even be more likely to be flanked by Tyson Stevens. Last night, my trip to Kroger required me to procure milk for Lincoln and lady products for Hayley.  Needless to say, I took advantage of the self checkout considering what I had for Hayley in my basket.

In February, it was 10 years since I'd met Hayley.  It was ACU Sing Song 2002, right around Valentine's Day. I met her on maybe a Tuesday, and for reasons I can't remember, I went to eat dinner with her and her parents the next Saturday.  Maybe she was either trying to scare me off or maybe she just knew I was the man of her dreams after 3 days (for the sake of my (over) confidence, I'll say it was the latter). Over the last 10 years or so, I've convinced her to stick around, follow me from Abilene to San Angelo (via Grapevine), Odessa, Midland, and now Memphis.  In the meantime, I also convinced her to procreate with me.  Shocking to me as well as others I'm sure. 

Hayley and I- 10 or so years ago

It's been 10 years or so since I left Abilene.  That's really weird to me.  When I go back, seeing what's changed in that 10 or so years is amazing.  My parents live in the same places, but everything else has been weird.  It's the place I grew up and spent 22 years in.  In 10 or so years, the places have definitely changed.  ACU is almost unrecognizable, they've tried to cram every big box retailer into spaces around the fabulous (read in a sarcastic tone) Mall of Abilene and Southwest Drive by Walmart.  There's also a whole new part of city off of I-20 by ACU too.  Also, the faces have gotten older, some friends have moved, some have stayed.  10 or so years ago, I'd have bet that I'd still be there...10 or so years later, I doubt I'll ever go back.

It's really amazing when you put things in to historical context.  Can you believe its been 10 or so years since 9/11?  Unreal when they were showing all of the anniversary specials last September.  The cliche would be to say that that seems like yesterday, but it really doesn't.  It seems recent, but not that recent.  Being in Memphis, has given me different historical frames of reference.  In April, it was 44 years since Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed in Memphis.  Growing up in Texas, we talked about MLK, but it was never more than just a figure in a history book.  Here in Memphis, its completely different.  44 years isn't 10 or so years ago, but I was born 10 or so (ok 11) years after MLK was shot in Memphis.  I grew up in a completely different world since I was born that 10 or so years later...I can't imagine living in a world where some people were treated so differently for really no reason at all.

So in 10 or so years, a lot can change.  While that isn't a revelation to anyone, its just interesting to think about.  What will be happening in 10 or so years from today?  I'm not really even sure I like thinking about that.  I've never been a big "make plans" kind of guy, so I'm planning on sitting back and enjoying the ride for the next 10 or so years...