There is a great danger, I realise, in having spent too few days in a place in which I recently lived, in forgetting that I no longer make up part of the social fabric, and that I have no more right to become so than any tourist. The danger is greater, in fact, for having lived there and then moved away, than if I were ever only a tourist. This is a painful realisation, for I continue to feel stronger associations to New Orleans than anywhere else. All evidence of belonging will gradually disappear; my Louisiana driver's license, my former neighbours, the faltering looks of recognition on the faces of people with whom I had daily contact - until the time comes when I will truly 'visit' New Orleans rather than return, and the familiarity I still cling to will be wrenched free from my conscious mind and forced into that part reserved for sketchy memories.
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