2023-05-31: ...famous?

in my early 20s, i left where i grew up. went to grad school, left grad school, moved to a different city altogether, started the rest of my life. thereafter i went back once or twice a year to visit family and friends. eventually, the rest of my family left, too. my parents, then my sister, finally my brother. since then, i haven't been back. i'm not sure if i ever will. i was invited back by an acquaintance for my high school's 20th reunion. i declined.

the last time i went back was almost ten years ago, for a friend's wedding. afterward, we drove south with my parents to visit my sister and my newborn nephew. he was, at that point, only a week old. very small, but just slept in my arms. i'm not a parent; i've never wanted children; but this is a very happy memory for me.

then there was one time i flew back, rather than drive (it only saved a few hours). i packed my classical guitar footrest — my mother used to play as well, and has a beat up aria that she's had since she was a teenager. i used to practice with it a bit at night before bed in the cool, dark basement. i wasn't very good at that point, but: i loved it. that guitar, and guitar generally, a connection for us.

i mention this only because at the airport i got stopped at security, asked by the scanner operator what the flat, toothy thing was in my bag. a footrest for classical guitar, i told her. and her earnest response, which i'll remember forever: oh! are you famous? do i know you?

(no; no)

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