tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2155462552219815877.comments2007-12-27T22:45:01.686-08:00erosephillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07341878226030551715noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2155462552219815877.post-67100350469269414232007-07-21T11:12:00.000-07:002007-07-21T11:12:00.000-07:00When you leave Salem you find out that the outside world views Salem much the way we did when we were kids, it sucked. Now I find myself going on the defensive and remarking about the good qualities of Salem and downplaying the bad. The river, the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables, the dash to the coast or to the mountains, parks everywhere, old buildings downtown, Salem has much. My time growing up in Salem was about having 21 kids on our small street and playing day and night. We roamed everywhere and nobody seemed to get uptight about it. I don't know if it is the same for kids today. It seems they have to study all the time. Where will they learn real world experiences? After 42 years I still go back to my old neighborhood, my parents live in the house I was raised. My brothers and their families are still in town. At one time I had hundreds of relatives throughout the area, now it seems there is much less...or maybe we just don't have social events like we used to. Can you imagine a Christmas with the house so crowded people were in every nook and cranny? I probably miss my late teens early 20s the most. The old stone house on 1 acre, the teepee, the converted school bus, motorcycles, darts late into the night, parties and more parties, those were fun times. We still party, just not as much, too many bills to pay, too much good work to do in our nonprofit. Well, for those outsiders who don't look kindly on Salem I suggest you stay a little longer on your next visit, try to discover some of the many secrets lurking just beneath the surface. Maybe a float down the river... a search for the rocket park... heron watching from a canoe... the giant wooden dance floor in the old Eagles building... the Salem Art Festival... the brilliant musicianship of Bobby Esh or Dale Adkins... a Green Tortoise Scramble... the Elsinore... cake from Frank... Salmon spawning in the shallow creeks... ancient fruit trees offering their seasonal bounty...Eric T Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18272366375384662148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2155462552219815877.post-12208678973284879752007-06-08T18:43:00.000-07:002007-06-08T18:43:00.000-07:00you should go. I really enjoyed mine even though I hated everyone when they were in highschoolWNWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18242812464523032104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2155462552219815877.post-14797280708458748222007-06-08T12:29:00.000-07:002007-06-08T12:29:00.000-07:00Eric,<BR/>Good to have you back in "the city of peace"! I am one of those who never left, except for a few short years, and have always enjoyed Salem for what it is...not a cultural hotspot, but just a bunch of people, who make up an bunch of neighborhoods that co-mingle on a daily basis with each other all around the town!<BR/>One of the great things about having lived here so long is that wherever I am, I can run into friends or acquaintances and enjoy a time of catching up. My son calls these interludes "two inning talks". He has gotten used to this and puts up with them.<BR/>There is an organization called Salem Leadership Foundation, which is run by an old friend of mine, Sam Skillern. It's goal is to bring all the elements of Salem together...Schools, church's, civic, neighborhoods, etc. to work together and solve problems that usually just get thrown at the government to solve. I love this group because they are what make a place like Salem special.<BR/>Let's make time for lunch soon!, and thanks again for the pictures!<BR/><BR/>BruceBrucenoreply@blogger.com