Isn't it funny how places stay the same even when the name changes? What I mean is, the store was an IGA, and about 14 years ago changed to Save-A-Lot. Now I and others will sometimes still call it the IGA. The person saying that knows exactly where they are talking about but the one hearing it may not. The name changed, the place did not. Would still be true even if the building was gone. Remember where the IGA was? That's what I'm talking about. I've learned a few of these places since moving to Greensboro. The old timers might say, four corners, and now I know exactly where they are talking about. Strangely the younger residents in Greensboro may not know that at all. The place is the same, but in this case, the name disappeared. There are other cases of this as well. I know a place to go fishing, it's called the Tomb. The reason is there is an actual tomb there of a revolutionary war colonel. Years back it was just there, on the bank of the river, out of sight really and untended. Today the land around it has been made into a small park, a fence around the tomb and maintained by the county. I don't remember the name of the park, I still say, the tomb. Place hasn't changed.
It's the same thing as asking for a Kleenex, we all know that's a tissue. You may or may not get an actual Kleenex. You might get a Puffs brand or Scotties. Strange how a name brand can become a generic term. Stranger still is, I think that is probably a good thing. Places can do the same thing. Now for me I say I lived in East Hampton. I never say, the Hamptons. The Hamptons is any number of places, East Hampton is one place. In my mind that is how it is, the Hamptons? Which one? I would never say I'm going to the Hamptons! No, I'm going to East Hampton or I might say, home. Our home never changes either, at least not in my thinking it doesn't. If I say home, I mean East Hampton, unless I'm at your house and tell you I'm going home, then I'm going to my house. My house may or may not be my home, depending upon context. But my house can be home no matter where I'm living at that time. Same as a Kleenex is a Kleenex, even if it is a Puffs.
All of that depends upon time, place and context. What where you taught, where were you taught it and what did it mean. Do you go uptown or downtown? Does it make a difference? I'm usually going uptown although I enjoy going downtown. Where I grew up uptown was downtown, or you could go down hook or below the bridge. Of course in my day we might say we were going upstreet as well, maybe they still say that back home. The home in East Hampton I mean, not my home in Greensboro. My house in East Hampton isn't there any longer, torn down to build a new one. Still with my old friends I could say, you know where my house was and they would know exactly the place I am talking about. I've been in Greensboro long enough to see some building disappear altogether and some just rebuilt or renamed. There was the Greensboro Deli when I first moved here. It was a little country store almost across the street from Taylors' garage. Taylor's garage has been in that spot since 1919 as the sign on the roof used to proudly proclaim. The sign blew off in a storm a few years back. But the Greensboro Deli was torn down and replaced by two rental properties. Fine new houses sitting on the edge of the river. That probably happened ten years ago. I still remember the old bridge, since replaced by a new updated version. The old carnival grounds was right there by the bridge. now the carnival grounds have moved to the new fire department property out on the highway. It can get confusing. It hasn't been that long since the carnival grounds moved so you have to ask, the old or the new? Time, place and context. Three things very important to understanding the conversation. My grandmother would say, get the Hoover. She meant vaccum cleaner. Radio's have stations but the television has channels, why is that? We say do you have cable? What are we talking about? My grandson says he doesn't have cable, just streaming services. Will that change over time as well? I saw a meme on Facebook that says I bought a television, built in antenna. I don' even know where antenna is. drum roll. Time and context. The place stays the same however.
It's the same thing as asking for a Kleenex, we all know that's a tissue. You may or may not get an actual Kleenex. You might get a Puffs brand or Scotties. Strange how a name brand can become a generic term. Stranger still is, I think that is probably a good thing. Places can do the same thing. Now for me I say I lived in East Hampton. I never say, the Hamptons. The Hamptons is any number of places, East Hampton is one place. In my mind that is how it is, the Hamptons? Which one? I would never say I'm going to the Hamptons! No, I'm going to East Hampton or I might say, home. Our home never changes either, at least not in my thinking it doesn't. If I say home, I mean East Hampton, unless I'm at your house and tell you I'm going home, then I'm going to my house. My house may or may not be my home, depending upon context. But my house can be home no matter where I'm living at that time. Same as a Kleenex is a Kleenex, even if it is a Puffs.
All of that depends upon time, place and context. What where you taught, where were you taught it and what did it mean. Do you go uptown or downtown? Does it make a difference? I'm usually going uptown although I enjoy going downtown. Where I grew up uptown was downtown, or you could go down hook or below the bridge. Of course in my day we might say we were going upstreet as well, maybe they still say that back home. The home in East Hampton I mean, not my home in Greensboro. My house in East Hampton isn't there any longer, torn down to build a new one. Still with my old friends I could say, you know where my house was and they would know exactly the place I am talking about. I've been in Greensboro long enough to see some building disappear altogether and some just rebuilt or renamed. There was the Greensboro Deli when I first moved here. It was a little country store almost across the street from Taylors' garage. Taylor's garage has been in that spot since 1919 as the sign on the roof used to proudly proclaim. The sign blew off in a storm a few years back. But the Greensboro Deli was torn down and replaced by two rental properties. Fine new houses sitting on the edge of the river. That probably happened ten years ago. I still remember the old bridge, since replaced by a new updated version. The old carnival grounds was right there by the bridge. now the carnival grounds have moved to the new fire department property out on the highway. It can get confusing. It hasn't been that long since the carnival grounds moved so you have to ask, the old or the new? Time, place and context. Three things very important to understanding the conversation. My grandmother would say, get the Hoover. She meant vaccum cleaner. Radio's have stations but the television has channels, why is that? We say do you have cable? What are we talking about? My grandson says he doesn't have cable, just streaming services. Will that change over time as well? I saw a meme on Facebook that says I bought a television, built in antenna. I don' even know where antenna is. drum roll. Time and context. The place stays the same however.
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