Indeed, we’ve had our ups and downs, as most couples do.
We’ve fought and tussled, hugged and held hands, turned our backs on one another, and turned the other cheek.
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Yet I keep coming back.
Take River Legacy.
I’ve run more 5Ks there than I can count, and it’s also where I like to take my kite out for a spin. There’s something oddly therapeutic about watching a piece of fabric dance in the wind while I avoid getting tangled in my own string.
Then there’s Richard Greene Linear Park, where I once attended an arts festival and nearly went bankrupt, finally wobbling out of place like a losing gambler heading out of WinStar.
Of course, I can’t forget Rush Creek Dog Park, which holds a bittersweet spot in my heart. Before the great flood claimed our home on Valleycrest, along with 52 others, it was an apartment complex I would drive by nearly every day.
Now it’s merely a reminder that Arlington giveth and Arlington taketh away.
But I wouldn’t leave.
How could I with AT&T Stadium beckoning? That is where I spent many a day working as Stadium People event staff at Section 134-136, right there at the 50-yard line, experiencing great joy and agonizing pain with the Cowboys.
Then there’s Globe Life Park, home of the Texas Rangers. I may not be a baseball fan, but someone loves it.
Baseball’s a big deal in these parts, and I’m nothing if not being respectful in the land of peanuts and Cracker Jack.
Summer wouldn’t be summer without Hurricane Harbor, where my granddaughter and I have, on several occasions, splashed around, leaping over waves, and getting seriously sunburned, yet still refusing to depart.
Shopping? Oh, you bet. Arlington Highlands is our splendid outdoor mall—even if it lost some major cool points when my beloved Which Wich sandwich shop disappeared.
I’ll forgive, but I won’t forget.
For my artsy side, there’s the Arlington Museum of Art, and for my oddly specific love of strikes and spares, there’s the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, of which I can name absolutely no one.
Sometimes, you must jam out to some good soul music at the outdoor pavilion, and Arlington’s got that covered too. And when I need an early morning recharge, there’s nothing like French Toast at Bay 34th Street Diner, followed by a quiet afternoon chillin’ at the Lake Arlington Branch Library. (The much swankier George W. Hawkes Downtown Library has the bells and whistles, but there is something tranquil about Lake Arlington that makes it comfy and cozy).
Nature calls (not in that way), and Veteran’s Park is the perfect spot to feed the ducks and contemplate life’s mysteries. (Not to mention, go for a nice run, although that’s where I nearly tore up my Achilles. Geez, what memories).
And let’s not forget my favorite spots to shop: grabbing honey from Green’s Produce and Plants, finding a new but old shirt from the Texas Thrift Shop (because nothing says style like a vintage T-shirt with a mysterious stain), and picking up some hanging lights at Decorators Warehouse last year that rivaled the cost of my mortgage.
So, Arlington, my Valentine, you and I have history. It’s a love story filled with highs, lows, and a lot of French Toast.
And no matter where life takes me or us, I know you’ll always be there—offering me a kite-flying breeze and maybe, just maybe, another chance at my favorite Roast Beef sandwich at You Know Where.
Kenneth Perkins has been a contributing writer for Arlington Today for over a decade. He is a freelance writer, editor and photographer.
