Blog archive.. I can’t wait to get back this summer!!
I have said for years that I was born about two generations too late. I love anything old, as I expressed in my Coney Island post… As embarrassing as this is to admit, I actually used to volunteer for our town’s historical village during middle school and high school… Yeah, embarrassing.. haha. But don’t worry–I was waaaay too cool for a hoop skirt or petticoat.
There is just something so sweet about the simple way of life past. Today it is rare to find a person who is completely content with a book, a hammock and a glass of sweet tea. We need constant stimulation with our electronic gadgets. I may sound like a grandma for saying this, but I am completely convinced that the quality of conversation is diminishing with the millennial generation, perhaps because their typical form of communication consists of texting and instant messaging, rather than any voice-on-voice communication.
Anyway, there are a few places that still cherish the pastimes of the yesteryear, and one of these places is among my favorite to visit in the summer months, Lakeside-The Chautauqua on Lake Erie.
Not too far from my family’s lake house is Lakeside, which boasts perhaps the most gorgeous view of Lake Erie in the area. Founded by the United Methodist Church in 1873, the Christian values and serenity are unmistakeable throughout the entire village. You won’t find an arcade or Internet cafe in Lakeside; only small (adorable) shops, an old movie theater, shuffleboard, mini golf, ice cream parlors and tiny cafes.
My mom and I were walking around Lakeside yesterday when a large group of middle school-aged kids in matching green shirts came parading down the street singing a tone-deaf version of This Little Light of Mine, lead by a twenty-something guy strumming a guitar. Apparently this is the week of the Methodist Youth Conference… Presh..
Among my favorite places to go in Lakeside is Sloopy’s Sports Cafe… Notice how I said cafe and not bar. Alcohol is not allowed in Lakeside, as it is technically against the Methodist religion… Which is interesting because my grandparents are Methodist and never finished a day without a stiff nightcap… And when I say sports cafe, I mean that there are sports memorabilia on the walls… No TVs to watch games. Life is far too simple in Lakeside for things like that.
While at Sloopy’s I found this on the wall, along with several other banners representing the many God-fearing colleges and universities across the country:
No matter your preference for summer activities, one must always admit that they need a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and I can think of no better place to find true peace than a place like Lakeside. We all need a break. We all need quiet, and we all need to remember that there were many who came before us.
Listening to the little Methodists sing their rendition of This Little Light of Mine, I felt both old and young at the same time… Entirely too old for youth group days, but entirely too young to fully appreciate that the street I was standing on has been the walking place of several generations before me. As the lake breeze gently rolled by, I remember how to find a nostalgic quiet and peace, if even for a fleeting moment.
