LEXINGTON

I’m originally from Lexington, so I am aloud to say this.

You know your old, when you come back to Lexington to visit, and you remember yourself as a young kid that used to be able to ride down the street on a bicycle, grab a couple of tools at the local hardware store for dear old dad, take a peak into the pharmacy, and hit up the old pizza joint for a cold refreshing soda. Five dollars, are you kidding me? That’s all it took back than for some screws, nuts, bolts and a beverage that would make you go “ahhhhh”. Growing up your friends were on local sports teams, others were involved in the same youth group as you that sold candy bars around the neighborhood. Then came the days of the lemonade stand on the bike path, and being an entrepreneur seemed to be as easy as snapping the fingers. Paperboys were kids that were already looking to save money towards college. Teen era ended when all your friends attended high school, got involved with relationships and drugs, and those four years flew by in a blink of an eye. What a life! Throughout all these changes, in the spirit of big business, Ma and Pa stores were eaten up by market giants.

For better or for worse, Lexington has definitely changed. Yeah, there are certain stores in Lexington that will remain forever due to political pull i.e. jewelry and shoes, yet, now the town I once loved has been gobbled up by coffee giants, reputable food restaurants, and of course where would we be without brick & mortar banks. The only clothing store in town is for woman. We have a Peet’s Coffee, two Starbucks, and two Dunkin Donuts within a mile from the center. You even have the Sovereign, TD Banknorth, and Bank of America competing for market share.

Yeah, heading back to Lexington to visit the old routes were both enjoyable yet sad at the same time. Sad driving by the house your mother grew up in, remembering the many years of thanksgiving dinners with the grandparents, driving by houses that used to be occupied by friends and/or fellow classmates, and finally passing by the house you grew up in. It felt like yesterday I was packing up my room and saying goodbye to Lexington forever, but sometimes a road trip away from Boston revitalizes my senses.

Then we come to Marion, a little town that not too many people know except when referenced with Tabor Academy. The nearest Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks are miles away from town. Political parties refuse to give in to changing the “overall image” of the town, theory that it has and always will be run by Ma and Pa family businesses. Perhaps it’s the cape winds, beach scents, and the soothing crisp ocean water.