Memories of Youth-Thanks To Google Earth

I spent some of the morning taking a few "trips" on Google Earth along a couple of roads I spent many miles driving in my youth. One was Owego Turnpike in Waymart and State Rt 1016 which is the road between Lookout, Pa, my old homestead and Callicoon New York. The homestead which sat on a hill wasn't in view thanks to the 2 ft spruce my father and I planted when I was about 12 had grown to at least 40 feet. Many of the houses I remember were hidden by trees that appeared to have never been trimmed. The last I remember taking 1016 was the night of graduation in 1967 when we had our graduation party at the roller rink in Callicoon and I came close to wiping out the buffet table..(Never, ever suggest I put on roller skates)..I noticed that I was stepping back in time. Other than a few changes to storefronts, the town was little changed. Even the bar where I practiced a little underage drinking was still there along with the train station. .The view of the Delaware remained unchanged. Owego turnpike, which used to simply be RD2 was built up somewhat but many of the houses I remembered were still there, especially Mike and Helen Syrylo's house where the 20 foot tree at the edge of the driveway looked like it was at least 40. The garage where I pulled apart the engine of my 60 Dodge Convertible remained, although a ton of work had been done with it. More flowers than in my time and the grotto appeared to be gone from the front lawn. It was that lawn that provided rest on hot summer nights when the stars were bright and the breeze carried hopes and dreams aloft. The driveway where we'd listen to Dolly Holiday on WBAL until 3 and 4 in the morning. The driveway where the Dodge's battery died at 2 in the morning and we had to drag Mike out of bed. It wouldn't jump start so we headed down RD2..Sorry, Owego Turnpike at 30 miles an hour with him pushing..It still wouldn't start..Until I realized that I hadn't turned the ignition on. With Google Earth, I was able to zoom into my old parking spot at AFN. It wasn't assigned to me but somehow it was always free, right across from the front door. The building was turned over to Hessesher Rundfunk when Germany had it's big drawdown. I also found my old apartment in Vicenza, Italy which I wouldn't have recognized as they added onto the complex and painted it white instead of light brown. It was now gated which it wasn't then. The journey didn't cost a dime in gas and some of what I saw was sad. Some were events that it would be nice to relive. A beautiful girl in her prom dress on the front lawn, roads I'd driven in the worst weather imaginable, The Friday afternoon drives from New York to Waymart when I was in school..Or the hating to leave on Sunday night..Some of the journey was very sad yet comforting. It reminded me of places that signified youth. A time when your hopes and dreams outweighed your accomplishments.