I have to admit, I'm pretty excited about the downtown architecture tour.  I think we were supposed to write about the Gothic influences, but I'm going to be a little more personal.  Growing up in Austin, I've always felt special amidst the towering buildings downtown.  My college friends came to Austin from other cities, and after a few months began remarking what I have known all of my life--this is a great place.  For me, it's not only the natural beauty or environment that makes Austin special.  It's the buildings, the memories, and the history.  I truly feel at home here. 

My great grandfather and his eleven siblings immigrated to the United States from Lebanon in the 1860's.  They eventually settled in Austin, and since then, they have left their marks on this city and passed their messages onto future generations through architecture and buildings. 

Within ten years of their immigration, all eleven of the brothers owned shops on the 700 block of Congress.  I remember one Christmas when my dad gave my cousins and I autographed copies of A Peddler's Dream, a short story written about my great great uncle who had opened a beautiful clothing shop in Austin, presumably the Walton-Joseph building.  At a young age, my dad began taking me to my great uncle's shop, Joseph's Men's Shop.  My great uncle would excitedly feed me oreos, believing that's what all the kids ate, and him and my dad would drone on and on about things I couldn't relate to--extended family, politics, things that a six year old isn't enthralled by.  I would peer out the windows as people busily made their way through downtown. 

When my grandfather married, he married into another family of architects and builders.  My great uncle, M.K. Hage carried on the tradition of Lebanese builders.  While one great uncle fed me oreos, Uncle M.K. would quiz me on my dental care when I visited a dentist in his building by Seton Hospital.  The two buildings carry completely different memories.

My grandfather started the next generation with the construction and opening of Sammie's, now Hut's Hamburgers, and Favorite Liquor, which is still run by my uncle today.  His brother, Paul, opened El Patio, and the 2^nd generation shifted from retail to restaraunts.  Despite their unwelcoming modern, box-structure, I learned to feel at home.  While we would wait for our food at Hut's, I would run next door and "borrow" candy from my uncle.  Later, I would relish in the milkshakes and brownies brought out by Mr. Hutch, or Mr. Hut.  During my stage when I refused to eat any food other than pasta, my great Uncle would take me into the kitchen of El Patio to pick out exactly what I wanted on my plate. 

Today, it's difficult for me to venture downtown without recollection of my childhood.  Sometimes, I feel proud of my family and the life they were able to start here.  Sometimes, I feel a little intimidated, like I have really big shoes to fill.  And, sometimes, I feel a little sad and nostalgic knowing that as each generation passes, we have to let go of some things.  With no one in our family left with a love for retail, Joseph's Men's Shop has been closed.  When my dad and his brothers began heading for professions like law and computer programming, Sammie's was closed and the building was leased to Hut's; the restaurant part of our family began to fade away.  And, today, with no cousins eagerly awaiting to run their own store, that too seems to fade.  I can't help but wonder what it will be like for my kids.  What marks will we leave for them to remember?  The people who occupied the buildings have gone, and all that's left is the structures.  It's nice to see that they've also left something that can be observed by students and tourists alike.