Hello Neighbor!
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of breakfasting with the staff of Main Line Neighbors, a feat that takes some planning due to busy schedules, snow storms, and life in general. Our fearless leader and MLN founder selected Mantines Café in Wayne, a place I had never heard of but was anxious to try. New adventures work for me.
When I put the directions into my GPS, it took me outside of what I refer to as Wayne proper, almost out to Devon, yet the address still proclaimed Wayne. The place was darling and the food delicious. However, upon arriving, I made my typical statement when I drive past North Wayne Avenue, “This is beyond the boundaries of my pride land!”
Don’t get me wrong; I don’t mind driving to Wayne and further. It seems many of my doctors have moved further east on Lancaster Avenue, so I have become a frequent flier to Devon and Strafford. Yet for the thirty-plus years I have lived on the Main Line, I stay close to my home base. Any trip to Wayne and beyond always invokes “the boundaries of my pride land” quip.
Although my pace has slowed (age and empty-nester combination), I simply do not enjoy the traffic, the congestion, the delays. A trip to K of P Mall? It comes with a destination, a purpose, and an off-peak hours drive. Annual check-up at the doctor’s office near the Devon Horse Show? Careful planning for early morning or midday. While the mileage between my home and Nectar is a mere 7.9, by the time I’ve hit Berwyn, I am officially in another county! Well beyond my boundaries!
You get my meaning; I am creature of habit, of comfort, of running errands on my portion of Lancaster Avenue. Going west, towards the city? Well, I have branched out a bit due to my recent infatuation with Narberth, but until I discovered Shift, I rarely set foot in their quaint town. Boundaries, my friend, boundaries held me back.
Yes, I have lived on the Main Line since the mid-90s and I still revel in all it has to offer, but if you ever catch me as far east as Paoli, I will be letting you know, I have gone well past my personal pride land.
Crossing boundaries between counties,
Jackie
