Something Sweet

 

I can't visit Rehoboth without stopping in to Fun For All! Toys on Penny Lane. Something about paying homage to the candy and toys of my childhood gives me a sense of reassurance. My childhood is still there. It hasn't been forgotten. I really lived in that world which now feels so different and far away.

 

I sometimes wonder if the people who grew up in a nascent Columbia have that same feeling. It must be difficult to see little pieces of their childhood slipping away. No matter how useful or exciting the evolution of their town, it is still different. And sometimes different just feels like loss.

 

The Columbia Archives is preparing for Columbia's 50th birthday celebration in 2017. You can learn more on their Facebook page. They are posting all kinds of historical photos and interesting tidbits. You can also read "Columbia at 50" by Len Lazarick, an ongoing memoir of our city, which is being shared on the page.

 

It feels particularly appropriate to me to take some time right now to celebrate the birth of Columbia and review its beginnings. There are some big decisions in progress about Downtown Columbia. Change is already happening. It is an ongoing process. What are the core things about our city that we want to champion and retain?

 

Are there things we absolutely want to protect? Are there things we've known we could be doing better, and this is a chance to move in a better direction?

 

In the meantime, stop by the Columbia Mall to take a trip down memory lane by visiting this display created by Barbara Kellner and the Columbia Archives. If you are like me, you'll learn something new. If you were here when it happened, it will be like a visit to the old candy store: nostalgic, reassuring, and sweet.

 

 

(Photo by Barbara Kellner)