By KRISTI MAYFIELD
Just like that John Denver song, “Country roads take me home, to the place I belong,” the country roads here in Oakdale have brought me home. Growing up in Oakdale in the 1980s and 1990s, I felt a sense of comfort and belonging and returning to write for The Oakdale Leader, I once again, am reminded of the sense of community that Oakdale represents.
Sometimes you just don’t know where life will take you and up until very recently, I had spent most of my career in Human Resources, trying to write part-time but still working predominantly in HR. For most of my life, I have lived near Oakdale, in Modesto and Waterford, respectively, but I was living in Pacific Grove last year, working at Asilomar, when we lost my ‘Papa Bear’ suddenly so I returned home and am now settled in at the house that I grew up in. They say that change is difficult and I agree but with change often comes opportunities and I have been given a few opportunities that I might not otherwise have been given such as writing for this newspaper and spending time with my mom and sharing our grief and loss but also sharing the everyday laughs over the little things, which has been very comforting.
My mom worked at Oak Valley Hospital for more than 20 years and some of my first memories were finishing up my days at pre-school at Oakdale Family Church of the Nazarene and then spending time at Oak Valley Hospital waiting for my mom to finish her shift. I was fortunate enough to find another family in the employees at Oak Valley Hospital that took me under their wing and made me feel so darn special while I was there. It was kind of my second home and I will always have fond memories of growing up with those folks!
Fair Oaks Elementary School will always hold a special place in my heart as well, where I was fortunate enough to spend time in Mrs. Mathis’s classes in both fifth and sixth grades. She was a wonderful educator and a lovely person that left an indelible impression.
Recently, I was out at Oakdale Junior High and as soon as I saw the cafeteria I was transported back to the sounds of Milli Vanilli and MC Hammer that accompanied our junior high dances, which were awesome, by the way.
As I drive down River Road again, I am reminded of my friends and I driving that same road back and forth to high school, when we first got our driver’s licenses and how my little Volkswagen Tawana struggled to make it up some up of the hills in Oakdale. Friday nights were spent at football games and followed up by trips to Round Table Pizza and sometimes, slumber parties. Boy, do I miss those! And I am proud and grateful to say that although I have been fortunate enough to meet new friends and forge new relationships in my life, the friends that I grew up with here in Oakdale are still my core group, The Golden H’s and I have been reminded of that time and again over the past few years.
As I bring my rambling memories to close, I just wanted to say thank you to the community of Oakdale again for being a great place to grow up while also learning many of life’s little lessons along the way. Who says you can’t go home?
Kristi Mayfield is a staff reporter for The Oakdale Leader, The Escalon Times and The Riverbank News. She may be reached at kmayfield@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 209-847-3021.
