Thomas Wolfe was wrong; you can go home again. All that you have to do is to be the person everyone remembers that you were. It's easy. Carry your soul in the pocket of your heart. The person you once were is still there; be that person. The person you once were became the person you are now; be yourself. There is no need for these to be in conflict.

Last month I went home again. Home is where I grew up, sleepy, rural mountain towns tucked away in northwest Arkansas. Home is now the international headquarters of Wal-Mart; home has changed as much as I have.

Everyone grows up; you expect your family and friends to be the same as they were, too. They're not; crises, illness, children, and time all leave their marks. It's up to me to accept them as grown-ups, too, and that really meant a lot to all of us. It meant a lot to me, Diane, going home to be Tom and Diane all at once.