What an incredible weekend!! The fun for me began at noon Friday when I met up with fellow Crestonian Sara Harris. She and Kathy, a friend from Illinois were headed south to enjoy the Labor Day weekend and had a wonderfully convenient extra seat in the car. After getting our bags packed and the car gassed up we set off. It was an enjoyable few hours as we talked the miles away, me enjoying every moment of being back in my home country and Kathy getting to see a part of the state which she had never experienced before.

We rolled into Creston just as school was letting out. After a short stop at the Middle School to visit Sara's mom, we parted company and I met up with my mother at the jewelry store she manages after work.

It is impossible to describe the sensation of being back in Creston after all this time and all of these experiences. It is not my native city, nor is the place where my family still lives. It's not even the place that I live now, yet to me it is still home. I lived some of the most eventful (if not busiest) years of my life there. It is the place I graduated and the home to all but my earliest Scouting memories. The activities and teams I participated on are what shaped my interests and molded me into who I am today. It is the site of some of the most important and defining moments of my history.

There is no doubt that Creston is a quirky place, and there is also no doubt that my life will lead me places that are far afield from where I grew up, yet Creston will always be a piece of me and who I am. It is a place that has touched me deeply, leaving an indelible imprint on my soul.

At the jewelry store I got say hello to Mike Wolfe, the owner of the shop and someone whom I hadn't seen since well before my departure for Finland a year and a half ago. He was one of several people I met on our way out of town, people from church and school, all asking about my trip and mistaking me for Nathan. All friendly and open, making me feel at right at home once again. I love the intimacy of small town life. It has it's drawbacks, to be sure, but the benefits are simply out of this world. A smile there is sincere always readably available.

My lifestyle and acceptance of ministerial calling has been a compromise, I have gained much but also sacrificed much. The stability of a lifetime in a small town is one of those things. I know how good it feels. Every choice in life has consequences, I am happy with mine but likewise admire those who have taken a different path and are equally fulfilled. It is a world of endless variety, to each their own.

After shopping mom and I left Creston for Diagonal, the small town where she and my stepdad Rick Wiley, live with Nathan, Drew, Tony and Allie. They actually live about three miles south of town on a beautiful farmhouse on top of a hill. A simply majestic place. I love it.

Friday evening was spent mostly getting ready for the big festivities planned for the weekend. Rick is secretary of the Diagonal Lions Club, the organizers of the big party. I helped them move bleachers from Clearfield, the town 10 miles to the west, and also helped them to dispose of a little beer that managed to somehow work it's way into the activities. It's funny how that works! We capped off the night by a stop at Reevey's, the local night life hot spot.

I also got to see Nathan for the only time during the entire weekend. He stopped shortly after school en route to take pictures at the football game for the school newspaper, and in the time that it took him to change clothes we did the brother thing and had to say an all too quick goodbye. After the game he drove up to Grimes to spend the weekend with dad and Lois.

Saturday was delightfully slow. There wasn't anything scheduled in town, mom had to work and Rick was busy washing the streets with the fire department so the little kids and I hung out on the farm and had a good time playing and avoiding anything that could even be remotely construed as constructive. The climax of the whole day was the filming of the 1960's cinematic masterpiece, The Land That Time Forgot.

Sunday morning Diagonal celebrated church in the park. It was wonderful seeing the congregation coming together in a beautiful setting and it was one of the better services I have seen since coming back to the States. After church I got to see a lot of people that I hadn't seen since I left, most importantly Grandma and Grandpa Wiley, Rick's folks. In the afternoon the tractor pulls began and I enjoyed the show and played in the park with the three little kids. I also took the opportunity to explore the nearby rail trail, a hiking and biking path that runs for several miles east of town, constructed on an abandoned rail bed. It is a gorgeous trail and a great idea. I just wish that more towns would take such an opportunity.

Mom and I also got to have the first really good talk of the weekend. Always a wonderful feeling. She, they, all seem so happy together and it feels great being a part of such an all around loving family.

Monday was another early morning as the Diagonal Labor Day parade began at 10:00. The parade was much bigger than I thought it would be. Apparently a lot of Diagonal expatriates came back and used the weekend as a chance to rekindle old ties. Mom and I watched the parade with Grandma Liz and were later joined by Tony and Drew once they finished their parts of the parade. A lot of candy was thrown and I definitely had a chance to exercise my sweet tooth.

After the parade we bumped into Pat Schlapia, my former cross-country coach from Creston. He and his mom are part of the Diagonal diaspora and were on their way back to Creston, giving me a perfect opportunity for a ride north, to meet up with Sara and Kathy for the trip back to Iowa City. We ran home and got my bag, I grabbed a quick sandwich and said goodbye to family once again, planning to return a few weeks hence for the Creston Homecoming celebration.

It's always hard leaving, but the fact that I'm considerably fewer miles from home now than in the past makes it a little bit easier to bear. Also after a while it's a feeling that, while it is does not dissipate, one becomes used to dealing with.

On the ride north I got a chance to catch up with Coach Schlapia (four years later I still can't call him "Mr. Schlapia" or "Pat"!!) and got to talk with him in a way that was impossible during the time I was still on the team. I spent an hour or so at his house until it was time to meet at Sara's place and we got see the momentous moment when Mark McGuire hit the homer tying Roger Maris' old homerun record. The whole way back to Iowa City we listened to the game on the radio and all enjoyed some of the best baseball action any of us had heard in a long, long time. A close game, with great personalities and a terrific, energetic crowd. It doesn't get any better than that!

Four hours later we rolled into Iowa City, all exhausted from a "relaxing" vacation and all equally unprepared for the school year to begin again. I had a great holiday and am very glad to have taken the time to head back to Southwest Iowa. Life is definitely good!!!

Graphics courtesy of http://www.rrhistorical.com/art and http://www.ixmall.com/graphics; maps by Yahoo!