Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Cherry Blossoms in Versailles, Indiana

Nostalgia says places were more beautiful "once upon a time"-- when we were younger, before life began harder. Not always true. These cherry blossom photos were taken in a tiny southeastern Indiana town called Versailles [pronounced Ver-sales]. This is where I went to school. These photos were taken in the last few days as an early spring fills the Midwest with blooms, by Jack Demaree, son of a classmate of mine, then known as "Eddie D" to distinguish him from "Eddie C". From first grade to twelfth, that's what they were called. The woman who sent me the photos was then called Linda but has since become Lynn. Eddie D, if I remember right is one of our most recently deceased. Two of his cousins were also in my class and his grandparents lived in the house across the road from my parents' farm.

I do not remember the town looking like this. Yes, the courthouse -- the brick building -- stood in dignity on it's well kept square of lawn in the center of town and someone was always flying a flag, as was, of course, the post office. The sky was often blue like this. It's a bit like going through a family album and coming across an unknown photo of your parents as young people, perhaps a wedding or honeymoon photo and saying, "My goodness, they were a wonderful looking young couple."

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