"You can't go home again."

Ted. Thomas Wolfe was right. Things change.

Home for me from 1972-1982 was Denver, Colorado. That was where I met and married Judy and both of our children were born. We have many wonderful memories of the area. 

Colorado Christmas 1982

Since then I have returned on a regular basis to visit my parents, my sisters and their families. We have also maintained friendships with a few folks there. In brief glimpses, I have watched as the metro population grew from around one million to nearly three million.

Judy and I were in Denver recently to visit family. We also helped my father celebrate his 88^th birthday at his retirement community in a suburb called Highlands Ranch. 

My Dad

At the birthday dinner I was chatting with a thirty something woman who remarked, “I remember when there were hardly any houses in Highlands Ranch.” “Shoot,” I replied, “when we lived here, it was a cattle ranch with just one house.” The population of Highlands Ranch is now 97,000!

Driving around the city, Judy and I are struck by the changes. Some things are better (arts scene and parks) but congestion seems worse, in spite of a great light rail system. The “brown cloud” of air pollution is now replaced by smoke from wild fires so the mountains are still obscured. We see the occasional building we recognize, surrounded by dozens that we don’t. We get confused downtown because our old landmarks are gone or dwarfed by new buildings. We don’t even bother to drive by my parents’ old house where we got married.

Denver is a nice town to visit, but it’s just not home anymore. And the sad part is, the same thing is starting to happen when we return to Atlanta.