"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home...." You surely have heard that phrase. You may have sung it. Do you know where it came from? Well, let me tell you.
John Howard Payne was born in New York City in 1791. He was the sixth of nine children. His father was a teacher of elocution (look it up...not an electrician). He taught at Clinton Academy, the third oldest school in New York State. John Howard wanted to be an actor, to the shock of his father. Actors were not admired and worshiped as some are today. He held to his desire and made his debut in 1809. The papers gave him rave reviews. He traveled to England as the first American actor to ever be on the British stage. He later devoted himself entirely to writing. One of his creations was an opera called, "Clari, The Maid Of Milan". Surely you have seen that famous opera!!! One of the songs in the opera was "Home Sweet Home". That's where it was born. I know you were dying to know. Thanks, Wikipedia.
The truth is "there is no place like home". That can be good or bad. It can have beautiful or painful memories. A home for some may be the remembrance of a certain house on a certain piece of land in a certain town. Home is more than that to me, for we lived in EIGHT different "homes" when I was growing up.For me, home is the remembrance of family and friends, school and church in all those places." Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."
