Since entering the Air Force back in 1989, I've been back to Batavia only 3 times. 1991 for a funeral, then in 2005 for 2 days. So, now that I'm back in the states, this past November, just before Thanksgiving, I made a trip back...this time so that my relatives could meet my youngest daughter, who is 15 yrs old.
The drive north was not bad at all. As my wife and daughter slept (it's a 600+ mile drive, and I could control the radio :), I thought about a few things. One - see my Aunts/Uncles and cousin. Two - stop at the Pok-A-Dot and get some beef on weck (If you're not from Batavia/Western NY, you just don't understand this one). Three - give my daughter a tour of Batavia - where I grew up, where I went to school, etc. These were the top 3 items, amongst other things, I thought about.
When I first left Batavia (summer of 1981) to move south, Batavia was, in my eyes as a teenager, thriving. The house I grew up in was intact; the Creek Rd bridge (near Max Pies) while closed, was still there. The parks (Kibbe, Farrell and Pringle) were bustling with activity of the kids from those neighborhoods.
Between 1981 and 1991, I came back to Batavia several times to visit relatives/friends...but, I didn't really look at the city. It was this last trip, as I was driving around, giving my daughter the grand tour, that I realized just how much Batavia has changed in the last 3 decades.
Oh, some things are still there/the same (ie The Downs), but, there was just too much that had changed. For example, Pellegrino's Bakery on Liberty St, near Jackson School...closed....oh how I remember being sent there to pick up a loaf or 2 of fresh baked Italian bread...and how I couldn't resist picking at the end of the loaf....well worth the trouble I got into when I got home.
Jackson St bridge (virtually gone) I remember in the summer, going over to Max Pies to get some cardboard to use in sliding down the side of the hill...and in the winter time...seeing who could come closest to sledding INTO the street or out onto the frozen (we hoped) Creek.
The Mall - every spot was filled....Chuck's Sporting Goods, Roxy's Music....people everywhere. Now, most locations are empty, and part of the building is City HQ.
Big Daddy's Ale house (when I was a bit older) - some of the best wings I've had in Batavia. Went great with a nice cold beer. Closed.
My house/yard - can't tell it's a house anymore, or that it was once filled with my mom/dad/2 brothers. Entire yard's been filled in with dirt...joy of the Tonawanda Creek flooding every spring :)
My grandmother's house - the garage is gone; the garden my grandfather tended to EVERY day, gone. House looks like it's barely standing.
These are just some of the spots that hold meaning to me. And my daughter...couldn't figure out why I was getting melancholy/upset...tried to explain to her how it used to be.
On the up side though - friend of mine from school - Jeff....we've kept in touch over the years...each time I get back there, I stop by to see him...this trip was no exception. We talk about our "good ole days", then it's grab a beer or three :) and talk about our lives now...the kids...their plans, our plans, etc.
Stopped by to see my cousin, his wife, and their new baby. Visited my Aunts/uncles...caught up with the last decade or so. Hit Oliver's Candies (wife/daughter LOVED that place, as evidenced by the $200 I left there)...and before I knew it, time was up and we had to leave.
As I left Batavia, I realized, that no matter how fond my memories are of Batavia, and how much I loved growing up there, and how much I'd like to think you can...you really can't go home again.
