My Old Kentucky Home

The symbolic My Old Kentucky Home in Old Town Berea.  The actual My Old Kentucky Home at 129 Adams Street.

Those close to me have often heard me utter the phrase: "It's a long way from 129 Adams Street."  Every accomplishment, every astonishment and every achievement brings back a realization of where it all began for me.

Knowing where you've been is as important as knowing where you going. Not that where you've been was unmistakeably awesome or perfect.  But understanding the past is a spring board to appreciating and understanding the experiences ahead. 

A keen sense of belonging will often mitigate the ill effects of success and failure that one meets in life.  I have always found myself profoundly proud to be from Berea, Kentucky. For a moment, some very important moments, it was where I belonged.

Side note to Skyler and Bella:  Take time in your life to stay somewhere, long enough, to belong.  There are roads you will travel and worlds you will conquer.  None sweeter and none greater than the place you belong.

You will find yourself longing to move on.  That's normal.  You will find desire to spread your wings and see what lies at the other end of the rainbow.  That's expected.  But never, never forget the magical moments when you belonged.  And by all means, never underestimate the value of the people with whom you shared your experience.  After all, a place is just a place - until you add a person.

A person, place and thing - to some that's a noun.  To me, it's Berea, Kentucky.


Stephen Foster's song My Old Kentucky Home  (penned in 1853)
The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home,
'Tis summer, the folks there are gay,
The corn top's ripe and the meadows in the bloom,
While the birds make music all the day.
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
All merry, all happy and bright:
By'n by Hard Times comes a knocking at the door,
Then my old Kentucky Home, good night!

Weep no more, my lady,
Oh! weep no more to-day!
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky Home,
For the old Kentucky Home far away.