I have been overwhelmed with my work on Birthplace Magazine. In fact, I almost feel that Birthplace will be so much more worthy a project than Manny Faces Remixes, so all of my energy (when not looking for work, taking care of the kids, keeping my relationship strong, working toward my degree, etc., etc.) is spent there. So if you stumble upon me here, please go there. You might like it.
Anyway, the reason for my post today is very simple. I am also in the process of moving. We’re settled in the new spot, but still carrying the old spot. Slowly but surely, we’re clearing it out (much bigger place than where we have moved to).
Today I was there, picking up mail and a few other things still laying around. I saw a neighbor who, over the years, we had been cordial to, but never overtly friendly. She is an older woman, lives alone, and always seemed a little… eccentric. I saw her sitting outside, and since we hadn’t mentioned us moving, I noted to myself that she was probably out just being nosy, and would probably come over and try to get the scoop.
Sure enough, as I was bringing items to the car, she crossed the street and walked right up to me. Having had a few awkwardly extended conversations with her in the past, and not wanting to spend all day at the house, I essentially groaned inside.
I am not normally one to prejudge someone. I am not normally one to shrug off conversing with someone, even when conversations can be long and awkward. Even with eccentric people. Yet I made that mistake today.
“I’m going to really miss you guys. I’ve enjoyed watching your family grow up. I enjoyed Michael (my oldest son), he always helped me when I couldn’t pick up the leaves or shovel the snow.” She went on to say how much she hoped things worked out for us, hoped that the economy wasn’t forcing us out, and again, that she’s going to miss us. Then she turned, and walked away.
Now, she’s a little… eccentric. And I don’t know her that well. And I could be wrong, since I could not see her leaving. But something about her… She seemed… Sad.
And I was touched. Again, all these years we saw her, we were cordial. My son, and I, always went over and shovelled for her. Recently, my fiancee drove her to the voting booth, as she does not have a car, and had a nice conversation. But other than that, we did not interact much, and often saw her watching. I suppose, like I did today, in the back of my mind I thought she was simply being eccentricly nosy. In fact, she may have been watching, admiringly, as I and my kids endured domestic disputes, separation, visitation, divorce, my struggle to keep the house, the passing of my mother, the introduction of my fiancee to my family, her moving in, us cleaning up the yard, me killing all the grass with too much weed killer, me re-growing a nice lawn, my fiancees deft touch at halloween/Christmas decorating, and my younger children surviving all the drama to become polite, beautiful, happy 5th graders, who in turn, also helped shovel her walk.
There are a lot of things I thought I would miss from that house, having been there 10 years, and though all of these things. Turns out, I’m not missing many of them at all.
Today, I just realized I’ll miss something I never thought of. Our eccentric wonderfully kindhearted neighbor, the only one who came to us to wish us well.