phynboo

[phynboo]

When I was a kid. 

I come from an honest lineage of blue-collared workers, diner breakfasts, and white picket fences. 

<div class="tumblr-post" data-href="https://embed.tumblr.com/embed/post/4DdF46KUFNfyXrSaldPlIw/648369912176427008" data-did="da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709"><a href="https://phynboo.tumblr.com/post/648369912176427008">https://phynboo.tumblr.com/post/648369912176427008</a></div>  <script async src="https://assets.tumblr.com/post.js"></script>

My Hometown - Bruce Springsteen 

I was born in Greenwood. A small town in the interior of British Columbia, which was a once-bustling spot during the 1800’s gold rush. The town remains unscathed from this era, with looming old-timey structural false fronts and saloon doors on almost every building. The town also wore the remnants of its political past. Abandoned military arms and sandbags lined the outskirts of Greenwood, serving as a reminder of the role it played for Japanese internment during World War II. However, Greenwood’s rich history stood in stark contrast with its people. It was the kind of town where you knew if your neighbour’s aunt had a cavity. It was the kind of town where few people ever leave, and those who do, never come back. 

It wasn’t much, but it was my town, and I loved it. 

https://giphy.com/gifs/HallmarkChannel-hallmark-falling-for-you-fall-harvest-7TzAyC8Sx1mVoadsx6

My father’s hands were calloused and cut. As he tussled my hair, he endowed my bright blonde strands with grease stains from a hard day’s work. My father worked tirelessly as a mechanic, just as his father did, and his before him. The days he wasn’t working early and staying late at the garage, he would spend in front of the TV in our living room or around the table regaling us with stories of his past. 

My younger sister would spend most of her time playing at the park in front of her school. She has always been too smart for her age. She would lead her pack of friends around town on adventures like Chris Chambers from Stand By Me. She had a charming but mysterious smile she borrowed from our mother. 

My mother was the soul of our family. She worked as a school teacher at the only elementary school in town. She spent her days mothering the town’s children and somehow always found the energy to give a little extra love to her own kids. She had a special kind of presence. A rare one. The kind where a room is brightened before she even steps through the door. 

(insert media) 

I grew up thinking Greenwood was the center of the universe. And at the centre of my universe was my family. With these people behind me, I could do anything. 

I can remember the feeling I had when jumping from the top of the monkey bars. Nothing would scare me. When I was a kid I believed the worst thing that can happen to a human is a scraped knee or a broken arm. My parents would protect me from everything else.