Can you go home again?

I grew up in "the west end" of Decatur. That's what we all called it. And still do. "The west end" had a reputation of being where the rich people lived. Which really cracks me up, since I was ANYTHING but. However, there are lots of beautiful old brick houses and as a child I made up all sorts of fantasies about the people who lived in them.

"The west end" comes together on its westest end at Kiwanis Park, the gathering place of all gathering places. Come one, come all, for ball, triangle slides, bondoogle, the stand (candy), ping pong tables (I don't recall ever seeing ping pong being played there), and simply hanging out. The "woods" swallowed the teenagers, and spit them back out, stumbling and blurry-eyed.

The Wonder Years gang had nothin' on "The West End" kids, now nostalgic adults, basking in the memories of our very own wonder years. Places like Kiwanis Park, Fairview Park, the ice rink, the gravel pit, Shoes, Woodrow, The Dog House, The Front Porch, the Bikini tree, were bastions of peace from the real world and I guess I wasn't the only one who found respite there.

West End Decatur is hosting a reunion on August 7 at Kiwanis Park. Do I go? I would love to be there, to observe. But to interact? That scares me for some reason. And I don't know why.