Ode to Cleveland

I promised myself when I was 25 years old that I would leave my hometown by 30. I didn’t want to say I had lived and died in Cleveland, Ohio. I could always come back, I rationalized. I was 28, forty years ago, when I finally had the courage. I needed to experience the world beyond. I left on April 3, to head west, after a snowfall of 2 feet during the night. Cleveland weather! This weekend is my 50^th HS reunion. (Stay tuned for my reflections, and welcome old friends new to my site!) I am here for the week and have explored old haunts and some new. 

Cleveland is a fascinating city. First of all, though, when Google maps sent me through East Cleveland, Eddy Rd. up St. Clair and Woodworth Avenue, I witnessed the worst urban blight I have ever seen. I wish I had taken a photo of what I saw. This part of town has been totally neglected. It is imprinted in my mind forever. Therefore, where I traveled during my stay must be prefaced with the poverty that exists outside my privileged world.

I always forget how breathtaking Shaker Heights is. Though I grew up there, as stunningly beautiful as it is, I feel most at home in Cleveland Heights, which is where I am staying during my visit. Leaf-filled streets, the vibe is diverse, progressive, and vital. Homes run from arts and crafts bungalows to dignified Tudors. Each different. It’s offbeat, like me. 

Enough time has passed that I can enjoy the city without the melancholy memories of the past that implored me to leave. It’s time to stop talking about my like and start living it, I said to my therapist, who had suggested, we aren’t done yet. Now, I can relish in the exquisite beauty of Gates Mills and Hunting Valley, the urban grittiness along the Cuyahoga River, Tremont neighborhood’s quirky mix of art galleries, bars and restaurants, and eclectic 19^th century architecture.

My life is in Tennessee with my beloved husband, Tony, and rotty, Roady. But for the first time, I am not ready to leave. Now what I see is the charm of this city on the lake. I will always belong here. It shaped me, from the riots of the 60’s to the splendor of its architecture and the tenacity of its people. It is my hometown.

Chief Wahoo forever.