Putting down Roots

Ain't it funny, how time slips away. A song title and a wonderful song. Filled with sentiment and a lot of truth.
Time really does just slip away. I have been doing a lot of reminiscing lately. A " Hometown Group " formed on Facebook and we have been sharing our collective memories. Memories of school,church,teachers and old friends.
The majority of this group no longer live in our "Hometown." We have moved on for a variety of reasons the primary one being economic I think. We all come from East Hampton which is now know collectively as "The Hamptons." We are not wealthy people. The wealthy, however, have decided to make our home their playground. we have been effectively shut out.
I was born there and lived there for the first eighteen years of my life. It is home. I left when I joined the Navy. I returned four years later and after two years had to leave again. The reason I left again was economic. The real estate values were very high and good paying jobs scarce. So,you do what you have to do.
As it turned out I made the Navy my career. I retired in 1993. Not a bad thing and an accomplishment I can be proud of. During my Navy days I moved around a lot as you might expect. Virginia,North Carolina,Louisiana,Florida and finally Maryland. My last command was at the Naval Station Annex at Annapolis. My two boys graduated high school here in Maryland. One son married and moved to upstate New York. The other is married and lives here in town. I have Grand children here.
I started out by saying how time really does slip away. Then I told you all about my group and reminiscing.
Well, it was while talking with this group that a stark realization came to me. I have lived in Greensboro Maryland longer than I had lived in my own hometown ! I was dumbfounded. How could time slip by that fast ? So quickly that you aren't aware of the passing of decades ? It is a sobering fact. All those years I talked about going home. Still do,to a certain extent. Whenever someone asks me where home is I always say, East Hampton but I live in Greensboro. I suppose home is indeed where the heart is, but I can't see myself moving back there. It would take winning the lottery and even then it would probably only be a vacation home. No, I live in Greensboro,Maryland. This is home now. Expect I'll die here too. Everybody does that at some point. Probably be buried here as well. Guess that is the true meaning of "putting down roots, " Well,somebody has to do it !