If ever you want to see your own community through fresh eyes, invite a couple friends who don’t live there to spend the day. You’ll come away with a renewed appreciation of what your locale offers.
That’s what happened to Earl and me today. Bob and Karen, friends from Chicago, came to visit. We started with brunch at our house and then branched out to visit the new condo development where Earl and I have purchased our next home. After that we drove into downtown St. Joseph to visit trendy antique stores and trendier accessory shops. Then we walked to the end of the lighthouse pier (Karen in heels) that is the city’s most identifiable landmark before having dinner in another local landmark, Schu’s Retaurant on the bluff that over looks Lake Michigan.
These are places Earl and I had begun to take for granted. We visit them regularly, but had probably forgotten they are some of the reasons we moved here originally. Without knowing it, both Bob and Karen reminded us of the seductive small-town charm that is St. Joe. We have completely bought into the culture, but there is one thing that grates sometimes. No matter how long we live here we will always be outsiders to the locals. Newcomers at best.
They should have heard us today extolling the merits of life here in St. Joe.
Leave a Reply