When I was a kid, my grandmother made sure I had lots of experiences, as she did for my cousin and, apparently, for my mother, aunt, and uncle…think piano lessons, dance lessons, sports, sports camps etc. In my case, it started with guitar lessons at 5. My uncle had taken guitar lessons, so there was a child-size guitar in the house I started playing with, which led to guitar lessons. Then private clarinet lessons, and then clarinet lessons and music theory at Peabody Preparatory, all before age 12. Many of these activities, for me, happened on Saturday morning and in downtown Baltimore. As an incentive (not that I really needed it), we would often go to Lexington Market afterward.
Today, we jumped up and went to Lexington Market. I haven’t been there since it reopened. I used to describe Reading Terminal in Philly as what Lexington Market could be and likely used to be. Seeing the new market…I kept remarking that I felt like a tourist. And imagine our surprise when we walked in to find the Raven’s game being projected on the wall. While it felt so familiar, at the same time, it was so different.
In true Corris fashion, I couldn’t decide what I wanted to buy, so I hit several stalls. But as I inventory what I purchased, all of it has nostalgic significance for me that I didn’t consciously realize as I was meandering through the market:
Chicken Drums from Parks because my great aunt used to go with us to my guitar lessons, and she would always get a chicken leg sandwich (think white bread wrapped around a chicken leg, eat until you hit bone, then start on the other side).
Shrimp Egg roll – The closest thing I could find to a Shrimp Mandu, a Korean dumpling that used to be sold at a stall in the old market.
Baltimore Dog from Sausage Masters and a bucket of Works Sauce- Because you can’t go wrong with Polock Johnny’s Works sauce on a hot dog. (But I forgot the lemonade)
Black Bottom – Every Saturday the parent association of the Preparatory had a bake sale. And every Saturday they were available, I had a bagel and a black bottom.
I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting as I wrap up my dissertation. Thinking about what I plan to do with it, what my path is, what I’m doing next. I know that I have a foundation formed in service and that I can’t be happy if my work isn’t in service to others. I’ve lived in Baltimore City my entire life and will for the foreseeable future. I travel when I want to see other places, but Baltimore is home. I live in the city because I choose to live in the city. The things people believe about Baltimore amaze me. But it’s the things I know about Baltimore that keep me here, in service to my city. Things don’t have to be exactly the same to have value. The value is what you place on it. In times of disruption, I find comfort in returning to my roots, strengthening the memories of the people who formed my foundation to help me find my path.
Lifting as I Climb 