Nicki Salcedo

By Nicki Salcedo, contributor 

I like sidewalks unearthed by roots. I like squirrels that throw acorns from above. I like the sound of MARTA barreling into town. I like the broken echo of the conductor’s voice in the breeze. I like being delayed by the freight train that dissects the City of Decatur into North and South.

I like the look of surprise on the barista’s face in the coffee shop when I actually order coffee and not steamed milk. I like when someone greets me by face, not knowing my name. That’s a day in this town.

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I like that this city, though filled with almost clichés, is not conventional. We should always strive to be unpredictable. For the past two and a half years, I have bothered your Wednesdays. I thank you for these Intersections on Decaturish. I like writing for you, but now I need a little break.

I’m going to work on a novel. Or two. I’m going to finish a few writing projects. I’m going to practice keeping my mouth shut on the soccer sidelines. I’m going to take care of myself for a little bit. We rarely do that unless we are sick or tired. I’d like to do this now while I am neither.

When I started writing for Decaturish, it was a big risk. I like fiction. Fiction is easy and fun and allows me control. Essays are difficult. They have to be the truth. Even if it is only my truth, the truth is challenging. We live in a world where we will accept dragons and zombies and scandals, but refuse to accept another person’s perspective. We live in a world where everyone has an opinion about everything. These days, I find myself having fewer and fewer opinions about anything.

I’m going to take care of my kids. I will ask them to do two things. Be curious. Be kind. I will ask the same of you.

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Writing for Decaturish turned into something very happy. Please let the Editor, Dan Whisenhunt, know how much the local news and this resource means to your community. Subscribe. Buy an ad. Write a letter to the editor. I’m going to pop in with an article when I can. I hope to have something new and different when I return. Thank you for reading each week and sharing your opinions with me. My favorite place is always an intersection. I love the conversation. I’m thankful that you have been a part of it.

I like big goodbyes. They are melodramatic like Captain Kirk clutching his heart. But this isn’t like that at all. No aliens. No stilted breath. No torn shirts. It’s me smiling. Hugging you with my words. This isn’t dramatic at all. It’s happy. This is a very little goodbye.

“Intersections,” the book, is a collection of columns from Decaturish.com and beyond. It is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Nicki Salcedo is a Decatur resident and Atlanta native. She is a novelist, blogger, and a working mom. Her column, which usually runs every Wednesday morning, is on a temporary hiatus. 

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