You Can’t Go Back, Written By: Wanda Rodriguez, Written on: April 21, 2026, Published on: April 23, 2026

You Can’t Go Back

Written By: Wanda Rodriguez

Written on: April 21, 2026

Published on: April 23, 2026

You know how sometimes circumstance brings you face to face with memories of days gone by.  This can happen when you run into an old friend, hear an old song or, like me today, find yourself visiting your old, familiar stomping grounds.  

Today I was released from the hospital following a hernia repair surgery.  Because of traffic, the navigator re-routed us off the major highway.  We ended up a stone's throw from the neighborhood where I grew up, and my friend/driver reluctantly entertained a quick detour.  This was the only home I had known until I reached my college years and beyond.  My family moved here two years before I was born, and it remained in our family until my mom’s passing several years back.  I have returned to visit a handful of times since letting the house go but today seemed different somehow.  

Maybe it felt different because of my recent surgery, my brief hospital stay or other health concerns.  I could have been feeling melancholy because of not-too-distant losses in my life.  Then again, it could have been influenced by the pain medication I was on post-op.  Most likely it was a combination of all of the above and then some.  Either way, I welcomed this jaunt down memory lane.

I spent time visually drinking in these familiar surroundings and physically exploring every little nuance of the area.  Slowly I strolled about, breathing in the sights and sounds while expelling countless memories that seemed to be flooding to the surface of my mind.  I enjoyed seeing everything from the homes, the trees, the footprints on the sidewalk, the fences to the flowers just beginning to bloom.  I found myself replaying snippets of random, vivid memories that magically engulfed me in what felt like a big, comforting hug.  The overall feeling from the “hug” was that everything was going to be alright.   

As I walked, I was reminiscing about times on the “spur tracks,” which we frequented as kids and used as both a cut through and a place of adventure, imagination and exploration.

I ventured near the spot by the creek where we used to throw rocks and catch crawfish and the large pipe under the road where we used to sit, seemingly for hours, listening to cars drive overhead.  As I strode leisurely around the cul-de-sac where I lived, played, learned to ride a bike and so much more I imagined the games, the laughter, the good times and the bad in and amongst the shadowy yet colorful memories of friends, family and days long since passed.

I took photos of some of the homes and sent them to friends.  I recalled the giant Weeping Willow tree next door that used to proudly stand guard over all activities in our little cul-de-sac and the sweet, vibrant honeysuckle that used to grow in abundance near the tracks and smelled even better than it tasted.  I gave a nod to the old school bus stop on the corner and considered the fastest and slowest ways I would take to get to my best friend’s house.  In case you wondered, the best route was two fence jumps away, two minutes max.  The more scenic route was on my bike, which took about fifteen minutes.  Speaking of bikes, being a child of the 70’s and the typical “free range” kids who stayed outside until the streetlights came on, a bike was considered necessary equipment.  I spent the better part of my childhood on two wheels!  We didn’t have the internet or cell phones so if we wanted to know where everybody was hanging out, we just looked for the pile of bikes.  

It was nice to visit this place and the warm, comforting memories that accompanied it.  This area, along with my time and encounters here, helped to shape me into who I am today.  Both the good and the bad experiences were used as building blocks to equip me for some unforeseen things down the road.  I love that, even in bad experiences, God uses these encounters to teach, strengthen and guide us.  Where one branch might be “pruned off,” on your journey through life, two more grow back in their place that are even stronger and more vibrant.  God is the author of our stories and though you can’t truly ever go back, you can always cherish and revisit those special times and memories.  But keep looking ahead, and up, as God has bigger plans for you and the best is yet to come.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”