When I left home at 18, I joined the Navy. After brief stints for boot camp and photography school in Orlando and Pensacola, I was stationed in Corpus Christi as a photographer. Having that job, I got around the city a lot. I really liked a lot of things about Corpus and I intended to stay in town when I got out of the Navy. When I did get out, I went to work for one of the more prominent photographers in Corpus at the time. Working with him, I got to see even more of the city. I met a lot of city leaders and local celebrities. By then, Corpus had become my home. I had talked both my brother and my mom into moving down.
Eventually, an opportunity came up in San Antonio that was too good to pass up and I left Corpus for the big city. I’ve always had fond memories of Corpus and wished I could go back to visit more than I have.
So, with this opportunity to visit that I had a few weeks ago, I was REALLY excited to be able to get out and see some of my old haunts. I can’t even begin to describe how depressed it made me when I actually did start driving around. Very little has changed in that town in the last 14 years. It’s like it is stuck in a time warp except that everything is deteriorating rapidly. The perpetual heat, humidity, high wind and salt air aren’t helping. It was really sad.
I had a great time while I was there. My friends and I ran in the Beach to Bay Marathon and we plan to do it annually now. I also met up with an old friend for dinner. As much as it depressed me to see Corpus in it’s current condition, it still felt good to see where I used to call home.
I really wish Corpus would turn things around and start to rally but I am concerned that it won’t. It almost feels like a family member is slowly dying. It just makes me sad.