The Different Worlds of the Same Hometown
A hometown is typically where one
was born, raised, or lived the longest.
But of course there is far more to it.
I consider Laconia, New Hampshire my hometown. Although I was born elsewhere, and have spent
many years in other spots, my time in Laconia from early childhood through high
school shaped every feature of my future. I think of this experience as an anchor
for my identity.
The reputation of Laconia is
enhanced by its location among lakes and mountains, and abundant year-round
recreation. Every town has public schools, and those in Laconia drew my parents
as educators. Also, hunting and fishing
appealed immensely to my father.
I fell into a social and economic lifestyle
that endured long after I graduated in 1963. I married a like-minded hometown
girl two classes behind me in high school.
Even my parents’ house looks much the same as it did years ago. But the hometown I remember is akin to a myth
for others.
My glib assessment of Laconia’s
stasis was shaken to the core by an autobiography written just a few years ago
by James Novak. Titled “Ora’s Boy”
(available on Amazon), a reference to author’s penurious mother, the book
details the challenging, mostly impoverished childhood of a boy growing up in
the relatively a poor French Canadian Catholic neighborhood where street smarts
were far more important than school.
Novak described many events he and I witnessed
around the town, including motorcycle races, Boy Scout hikes and swimming
lessons. Yet he skirted poverty constantly, had few clothes, and often went
hungry. Even though our experiences were separated by just a few years, our
realities were worlds apart. He represents a hometown I never really knew.
I led a comparatively privileged
existence. My father was the junior high principal and my older sister was a
junior prom queen. On the other hand,
Novak could not even afford the clothes to attend a school dance. The contrast
reminds me that every hometown experience uniquely reflects the
socio-economics, culture, family life, and personality of the individuals who
grow up there.
James Novak was a feisty,
resourceful character who eventually escaped Laconia and found success as a
high-ranking procurement officer in the Air Force. My own career success came
from becoming a public school administrator.
