I say home stands on a hill that runs into another hill, that touches one shade of green and smoothly transitions to another. It’s a quiet place carpeted with plush green grass and sprinkled with wild flowers. I say when I look at the ceiling of my house I can see the stars and smell the fresh air as clearly as the good meal cooking in my kitchen. Home is a fairy tale you see on TV where a family of cardinals nest outside the picture window and where purpose is as clear as the open blue sky and as mysterious and wondrous as the stars in their heavenly home. It’s a fairy tale but I want it, I told him. I want squirrels to dash up and down the trees, a dear to graze in the yard from time to time. Most of my annoyance should be someone’s milk cow that’s wondered into my yard. That to me is living. It’s a fairy tale kind of life, but I want it. No, there won’t be two and a half kids running around, just me on a nice piece of land.
He says he needs the city. He needs the lights, the noise, options is what he calls them. He likes seeing tons of people, going to ball games, golf tournaments, night clubs, dinner formals and anything else his big city offered. He says he can see green grass and hear crickets on television. As he held my arm and I shuffled along beside him in my too large robe and lips blue from low oxygen saturation I told him HDTV doesn’t give you the feeling I’m talking about. He insisted he’d take the city over country air any day. He was sure I’d never left this city. I didn’t say differently. All I know is, on every land my feet have ever come across the only time they walked comfortably was when that land was open, full of trees, full of life and mostly void of concrete.
I wanted to ask him why he’s here in this so called city. Anyone that travels from where he use to live is either running from something or to someone. He didn’t come here for educational opportunities. He didn’t come here for some huge job, after all, he was assisting me to the restroom. What are you doing here in small time USA?
Yes, eight hours of conversation, of likes and dislikes, ideas and beliefs can give you a feeling you’ve never quite felt before. I admitted in a different place, a different time, a totally different frame of mind we could have hung out. I hope you enjoyed your golf game, thanks for thinking about me at the driving range. I’ll be thinking of you as I listen to the crickets in my little home in this “little city.” That is a privilege sir because most guys I wouldn’t give a second thought.
Austin
Where are you? Still in the hospital? How are you doing? Worried about you and whether or not your computer has recovered so you can use it for more than a desk weight. Carmon
Austin,you’ve read enough of my stuff to know that I came here to Florida from the suburbs of WashDC-in 1970.
The town I ended up in was so small that everyong knew who everyone else was and one could be in his home asleep and hear the muffler of each individual vehicle-and tell who was coming in late.
Here where I now live-now that Spring is back and the nights are warming up…from here on out until next winter the trees will be loaded with thousands of little green frogs-singing! I’ve got to tell you,it is very beautiful.
Funny odd sort of thing-this place I live in is on the edge of no where-go out my back door and it is eight miles between me and the next place. When I am here-there is nothing else.
The odd sort of thing about it was when I was trucking-the times at home were great,but the day having to leave I’dd get so sick to the stomach from nerves. That would last to the T when I hit the state line.
It was an interesting way of life-living in a ‘booth’ that took you anywhere! From my being a city boy from the beginning-cities were always comfortable to me-facinating and so diverse and what a way to live…and the country too,I’ve hauled cattle from a ranch in Texas that was a few hundred square miles in size.
A few cities I did not care to stay long in-LA was one and Detroit another. I only got robbed twice-once by another diver that I rode with for over two days…another by a punch and grab-the rest of the times were right good times. The punch and grab was in NJ-but yet so many other good things were there as well.
Another funny thing-I have had many guests come to visit-and the moment it gets dark and no street lights come on its as if a panic button was pushed and the guests really freak out-once such came from Wisconsin and was going to camp out in a tent here. Spooked the moment it got dark….go figger,went and got a motel in the city.
I am really sorry to know you are sick…I’d fly you up some ice cream and a few tons of pampering materials,but alas…it is a possiblity out of my league to have acccess to a jet.
Probebly a good thing!
wink
What city slickers!
Stop making excuses about the jet Jay. Get in the jet and give me my dang ice cream (so says the lactose intolerant girl).