In my book, “Secrets in the Hollow,” Carrie returns to Sleepy Hollow after twenty years and finds that the important things have not changed, as she had hoped. Her relationships with her small friendship group are strong but shrouded in her secrets. She hoped those secrets would not affect her connections but it’s a vicious cycle for Carrie as she tries to hide those indiscretions.
I have heard it said that you can’t go home again. In many ways, I can see why that’s true. If you are physically going back to someplace where you haven’t lived for twenty years, a lot will have changed. Maybe stores will be gone, there may be more traffic, and your friends may have moved on. Emotionally, you may be tied to that hometown with fond memories, scary memories, and everything in-between.
But if your hometown is steeped in history and you are lucky, those stories and imprints in your mind don’t change. It’s hard for me to explain how and why Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow affected me and many of my classmates in profound ways. Believe me, it wasn’t perfect. Like any of the river towns, there were the haves and the have-nots and, except for boys’ sports and some classes, it seemed like those never mixed.
But, the towns’ charm seemed to overcome that and many friendships have blossomed from reunions and a new sense of understanding that we missed many opportunities during those hormone-filled years to get to know our other classmates.
So, I think you can go home again. It will just be a different visit!
‘Til next time,
