The thing that makes me quite extraordinary is that I grew up in a not so usual place. When I was four years old, my parents settled into a huge old house on the border or Erie County in a sleepy little town called Girard. Erected before the actual city of Erie was built, the town boasts being a historic landmark in its entirety with the charm and sweetness of a by gone era. Still, with most of its mainstreet preserved in a permanent expression of the early 1900's, growing up in Girard had everything to do with my general personality and social skills. Everyone was always so friendly, everyone knew everyone else and folks were just so darn accommodating. Perhaps its because the tempo for the place was set by a group of circus performers and their ring master, Dan Rice in the mid 1800's. Neighbors were considered family, the troop mentality spilled over into everything from the town paper to the grocery store. When I was little, the bank always gave out lollipops on pay day, the baker always had free cookies and the world was a simple, happy place full of smiles, handshakes and unlocked houses. No matter how much my life changes or how old I get, when I go back to my home town, its like a time portal, where so much has remained the same. It is a peaceful, comforting feeling I look forward to annually. Happy childhood memories, I'm coming home to you today.
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