The other day while out shopping, I turned down a street I have not traveled in over fifty years. I don't know what made me do this, probably a nagging thought I had when ever I was in this part of town, but never did it.
I was looking for a home that I lived in for a little over two years, with my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin (their son). It was a lovable home and we all tolerated each other and this was because we loved and respected each other, they have since passed away including my cousin.
I was working, had a car and was young and care-free. I could come home from work to a nice supper, a beautiful smile from my Aunt and Uncle, I did pay them rent every week. We laughed, joked and shared one another s day at the supper table.
I suppose you could call this my "Golden Years", the care-free days of youth. I loved my job at Universal Camshaft Company, which has long since gone out of business, this also pains my heart every time I pass it. Wondering how many old friends are still around, you know how it is, people move on, lose touch, how sad that sounds. All these people, I once shared my space in time with, most have passed on.
I could not believe my eyes, gone, it was as if my moment in time at this home had vanished, not a brick or piece of wood remained, no one had bothered to build a new home in its place. My heart sank, I could not go on and yes I cried for all those moments we had shared, I was looking at nothing. It was as if someone had erased this time of my life. I drove on with a heavy heart, but no one can erase my mind of those wonderful years I spent here.
I was looking for a home that I lived in for a little over two years, with my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin (their son). It was a lovable home and we all tolerated each other and this was because we loved and respected each other, they have since passed away including my cousin.
I was working, had a car and was young and care-free. I could come home from work to a nice supper, a beautiful smile from my Aunt and Uncle, I did pay them rent every week. We laughed, joked and shared one another s day at the supper table.
I suppose you could call this my "Golden Years", the care-free days of youth. I loved my job at Universal Camshaft Company, which has long since gone out of business, this also pains my heart every time I pass it. Wondering how many old friends are still around, you know how it is, people move on, lose touch, how sad that sounds. All these people, I once shared my space in time with, most have passed on.
I could not believe my eyes, gone, it was as if my moment in time at this home had vanished, not a brick or piece of wood remained, no one had bothered to build a new home in its place. My heart sank, I could not go on and yes I cried for all those moments we had shared, I was looking at nothing. It was as if someone had erased this time of my life. I drove on with a heavy heart, but no one can erase my mind of those wonderful years I spent here.
18 comments:
Dear Margaret,
I feel like we are kindred spirits, as so many times when I enjoy reading your blog, I feel exactly the same way as you about so many topics. I have your same sentimental spirit and reading this particular entry made me cry as well, as I could envision how you felt, since I've felt this way about past locations as well, that aren't there or are not what they used to be.
I agree with you that no one can erase your memories and that's what we hold onto, even when all else has changed.
I'm sorry the house wasn't still there. My husband knows how I feel about this subject so much, because I've long lamented that if I had MY way in life - No building of the past would EVER change. I prefer instead for the places of the past to be preserved and remain unchanged. That will never happen of course, but that's how I feel about it. :)
I can relate to this Margaret, Last November I went back to the City I lived all my childhood and where I got married.
I visited the church where we married that was still there......... only my dear husband wasn't.
Enjoyed the read,
also thanks for the visit.
Take care.
Yvonne.
I can relate easily to what you wrote, Margaret. The entire sleepy sugar cane village I grew up in was plowed over and graded to create a new subdivision. There are hardly any markers to give us a clue of what was there. I remember my brother writing to me about this when I was on the mainland. When I got back here and looked, I saw for myself that nothing, absolutely nothing was there. It was like it never was.
I know the feeling, too. A cute little house we rented years ago is gone now all because of "progress". I guess it wasn't big and beautiful enough to warrant keeping in the neighborhood. Sad, so sad. They rip down and build again but not the same quality.
That is the crime to me.
Those are sad times. Memories.
By the way, the squirrels around here are Eastern Grey Squirrels and the hawks of all sizes give them a wide berth. They are really afraid of them. I suppose they have had their toes bitten off and don't want to go through another experience like that. I have seen the hawks get the smaller chipmunks though.
Dear Margaret things changes, life moves on and we swim in its tide, the moment we have now is ours coz the one that has passed or is yet to come has no certainity.
Hope youre fine now, smile and enjoy the moment :)
Some memories are sad, and some are glad. No matter, we remember all of them, and I'm happy for you that your time spent there were glad times Margaret.
I really enjoy your posts. I might not get to comment on all of them, but I do read them all.
Have a wonderful rest of the week.
Becky
Mom, this was a great post. Your love of the past and all things old and wholesome has rubbed off one me and it has given me a greater appreciation for the simpler times when life was less complicated.
Do you have any photos of that old house?
Ahh, Doug bean has a great request, do you have any pictures of the old house??? I certainly do know what you mean about those sweet moments of the past and how they change and how it affects us.
Casper: Yeah, It's really great reminiscing. I can remember when I was a young cat running and playing more than I do now. Seems like nap time is getting longer these days.
Well Casper we all get up there and remember all those good days, but yet we can still make more good memories that we can go back later on. Margaret enjoyed your post.
Hi Margaret,
Good memories are wonderful.
I read your post about the homeless and that is a burden I feel for. I just don't understand why it is happening here in the USA. Why does the government spend money on bail outs when we could shelter all of the homeless with that money??!!!
When it's so cold here...I think about those living outside :(
Thanks for your kind comments on my blog.
Warmly,
Deb :)
Hi Margaret:)
This is indeed a very painful post. We have so many wonderful treasure hidden within our heart, in our memories and in our thoughts. We now find ourselves that the monuments and people with whom we had a great time and carefree days have been lost for ever leaving us to live with our memories.
I still think of my father and mother who are no more. They did so much for me. But I hardly appreciated. Now they are gone. I wish I had been more considerate and kind to them and hugged them more. But now it is too late.
After the death of my parents the property and the house they had was sold and all us brother and sistered shared equally. One brother has a house next to my fathers house. Whenever I visit this brother I find my parents house has been demolished and another house has come up in its place. My heart pains. We all lived in that house so many years, ate, slept, played, fought and so on. We got jobs and went to different places. Well, sometimes these thoughts come flooding to my mind and I can tell you the pain is real and excruciating.
Wonderful post Margaret.
Have a lovely day:)
Joseph
Dear Margaret ~~ Great post and I am so glad you have your happy memories of your aunt, uncle and cousin and sharing good times with them. It is sad the house is gone, but the memories remain. Recently
my brother found that the house we lived in is no more, so we were both sad about that, but like you, we have our memories.
I am glad you liked the ice cream story, and like you I failed the
test, so we must be losing it.
Take care, my friend,Love, Merle.
How very sad. Sometimes it doesn't pay to try to go back home, as the old saying goes. Hope you two are keeping warm. Sun is shining here, but temp is still very chilly. Just got a refund from one of my doctors, apparently I somehow over paid, so I told Abe, we're going to splurge, I'm running out at lunch time and bringing something home for the two of us.
The house I grew up in is still there but things sure have changed. They sold off most of the land where we as kids used to play by the hour. I still get homesick for the way things were at times and it scares me the way the world is going but I guess it's a sign of the times. Thank you for a very thought provoking post!
It's still there Margaret....in your heart, so don't cry.
The memories are still there and that is what is important, Margaret. Bricks and mortar disappear but memories last forever.
It's amazing how the years get away from us and how things change so completely, isn't it? Change is hard, especially when it happens when we aren't looking. No matter how much things change, though Margaret, the times as you remember them are immortalized in your memories and in your writings. Thanks for another beautiful, thought-provoking post, Margaret.
I recently went to the map feature on Google and looked up the home in England that I grew up in, the place with the big gate I used to swing on as a child and watch the world go by. The house is still there. These satellite photos are amazing. I could even make out a white car in the driveway, the railway line across the street and the park we used to play in!!! I am very fortunate to be able to do that and hope one day I can visit my old home town and see it for myself. My hubby's old home was torn down and a pawn broker's replaced it but we always go out of our way when we visit his family to see the 'old neighborhood' he remembers so well. We visited the house we spent two years in the early part of our marriage in October and it was there but if we had visited it the following year it wouldn't have been as it is due to be demolished and new homes will be built. Good memories of family and friends. Sweet times :)
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