Years ago my folks bought a small grocery store building. This was in the early 1960s when little neighborhood stores were still going. My dad had the dream of opening a used furniture store in addition to his full time job of working for the Coca-Cola plant. I was three years old when they bought the building. We lived in the apartment above the store. My parents worked very hard and when I was old enough, I helped out too. Even as a small child I learned to sweep floors and dust furniture.

Because of the Labor Day parade and a train blocking a crossing, we had to venture into this neighborhood. There stands the old store building. It is empty. Kind of sad and forlorn, really. The neighborhood was kind of sketchy when we moved out in 1972 and it has gotten far worse. The apartment house next to the store building was bulldozed a number of years ago so there sits a vacant lot. The house across the street has also been bulldozed; the space if vacant. I was telling DH about both sets of neighbors when I was growing up. The couple who lived across the street was always cleaning. I bet you could have eaten off her front porch. He was meticulous cutting his yard even if it was tiny. The owner of the apartment house (there were 4 apartments) planted geraniums in the window boxes, changed storm windows and screens every spring and fall, and kept things very tidy. Now both places are gone and what is left is a shadow of its former glory.


I know there's a saying about "you can't go home again" and in some cases it is true. I'm not sure I would feel safe even walking around the block now. In this case change isn't good. But it is change.

Thinking back on these neighbors does give me a warm feeling -- one lady was like a mom to me and taught me many things including how to cook and clean. I learned by example from these neighbors how important it was to cherish what you have and take care of it. So, in this instance, I would say change was good.