Ten Years A Hoosier (An Ode to Linda's Place & the Corner Booth)

I've now been living in the Indianapolis area for a decade.

Hard to believe so much time has passed... (since the actual 10-year anniversary on Jan. 9, 2014)

Three journalism jobs, two houses in the same city, and many different diabetes advocacy legs through those years.

Looking through some old papers recently, I came across a handwritten letter from a close friend written just before I left Michigan for Indiana. I remember how it was written at our last visit there before my move, and it was written to those who'd follow us, sitting in that corner booth we'd learned to love. To the countless hours just enjoying coffee and conversation, learning and finding ourselves.

Given the anniversary, I thought it was worth sharing now.

Finding the Bottom to a Bottomless Pot

To: Michael "Indiana Jones" Hoskins

A cheese little greeting for those of us who take to seating

In the famous Corner Booth.

Thanking God these walls cannot talk

For the endless hours we've sat here

To dream and scheme,

And over-analyze and gawk.

Heaven only knows when the first time really was

That we claimed our original cast

And heaven only knows, this time today

Surely won't be our last.

So here we are finding the bottom

To a bottomless coffee pot.

We sure did talk, we talked a lot.

May whomever falls here next

Be smart enough to document in text

May they be as blessed as we both were

To fall in live with politico news,

And friendhip so fine.

May they remember, that we will be back

And then and always, this little corner booth will be

Yours and mine.

From: Kari "Nonetheless Navarra" Woycik, 12/16/03.

We did journey back a few times through the years, as well as to another location outside of the hometown of St. Clair Shores that shares the same name but just doesn't have the same atmosphere (or memories).

Photo Credit: Ava East of the Lakeview Husky

And so, with all this in mind, I was shocked and saddened last fall to learn that Linda's Place, the home of
our beloved Corner Booth, had been hit with a fire and was closing down -- at least temporarily. To date, several months later, it's yet to re-open.

Recently, I came across a post in the high school newspaper where I once served as editor-in-chief nearly 20 years ago. Honestly, it was an emotional read: http://www.thelakeviewhusky.com/2014/02/25/lindas-place-keeps-its-place-in-our-hearts/

Here's the first two grafs from the Lakeview Husky story, that I found myself nodding to when reading:

Linda’s Place, located on the northeast corner of Nine Mile and Harper, is known as the ritualistic hangout place by many of St. Clair Shores’ youth, catering especially to both Lakeview and Southlake students all through the day and night. It had the vibe of a truck-stop diner mixed with your little ol’ Grandma’s curio-enriched kitchen. People either love it or hate it, but regardless of one’s own opinion, it had a good 17-year-long run up until 2013, closing it’s doors temporarily. It has been stated that it will reopen in May of 2014 if all things go accordingly in regards to a property dispute.

To some, Linda’s was just a mark on the map, but to others, it was a second home; thus, its closing was met with great dismay. From habitual visitors to irregular customers, it was the place to be on a warm summer night or in the cool autumn twilight in the Shores, and believe me when I say that the size of the place was just a fraction compared to the memories made there.

Here's to hoping Linda's can reclaim its glory and re-open there for future generations. But even if that's not destined to happen, here's to the memories so many have had at Linda's Place through the years.