It wasn’t by any means a surprise. Glancing from the corner of my eye, I saw the ‘destruction’. The plan to raze the YMCA, to make way for a planned townhome project was in the works for many weeks. The well grown surrounding trees had already been cleared. The large construction machinery, crews and yellow tape securing the perimeter, in addition to some dug up sections of the ground, completed the picture.
Yet, the sight of that large excavator bringing down the roof over the main building, with a deliberate “violence” struck a chord of nostalgia.
The running track in the central part of the building still intact, lay half exposed to the open sky.
Driving away, I wondered why I felt a sense of loss. It wasn’t like we had been regular members at the YMCA for most of the 14 years we had lived in the area, including the last 11 less than 1/2 a mile away.
I recalled introducing my dad to the YMCA. I had wanted something that could help him stay engaged and find a better way to exercise, during his stay in the US. He had always been active, and so the YMCA fit right in. He could walk there during good weather which also gave him a sense of independence. During summer camp, he would walk there with my daughter, nephew and niece and drop them off. Other memories included taekwondo and swim lessons for my daughter, and a short stint of swim lessons for myself! Basketball lessons for my son, and the group of loyal parents cheering at games(even if they were mostly losses!).
We had restarted the membership this time around, only recently, when my daughter had taken the lead on it. The goal was to ensure we used it effectively, so we didn’t have to cancel again!
All the usual wise phrases that I taught myself to rely on like-“Change is the only constant in life and life goes on …etc “ seemed to come to mind. It was almost as if I was forcing myself to internalize the change.
But then I wondered, why I felt this nostalgia for a mundane process of build and rebuild that seemed to happen all the time around me, often with little or no acknowledgement. Was it the turning 48 this past year? Were the feelings deeper…one more connection to the past that included memories of my father, was going away? Was I becoming insecure to rapid changes that I had no control over?
Or, was it the fact that I wanted to respect this familiar connection to something that wasn’t a living being. One that couldn’t reciprocate the feeling, but was making its end felt.
The rest of the structure will soon be gone, in time to be replaced by the new construction, the image of what used to be, will now be a part of virtual and paper based memories.
Maybe the way forward, with all this change happening now, and in future is to simply acknowledge it. Keep the memories close to your heart and form newer ones as we go along…..to cherish forever.
Anand's Thoughts 