Welcome friend to part two of the neighbor posts! To start, I want to mention, in case you didn't know, that I experience recall memory issues, and there are some memories I simply cannot retrieve. It helps to write because writing can sometimes trigger a memory or possibly the emotion tied to the memory. I have relatively few memories and they are mostly visualized through still photos my mind took at the time, or a snippet of a voice. It is a wonderful feeling to have a memory with both.. In my last relationship, I would adore him talking about his family, and his memories growing up—I'd hang on every word wanting to know more because it was exciting to hear him remember in such great detail. It was even more special when one of his stories would trigger a memory of my own—which I struggle with the majority of the time. Let’s ‘not’ delay the post—here’s a quick summary, as it’s the neighborly thing to do.
To recap, as I moved on to my next chapter in life—adulthood—the neighborly stories continued. With each new place I called home, I adjusted to different surroundings and met neighbors who seemed to embody the heart of each location. Each move, from one address to the next, gradually caused me to become more detached and withdrawn. I'm now 18 and on my own.
My run away from home landed me 1000 miles south with a broken down car and no money. Miraculously, my aunt lived close by and not only took me in for a couple of months, but loaned me the money to get my car fixed and bought me some different clothes. I don't know why I left my aunt's house, but I ended up over 30 miles south at the Farmer's Market. The details are mostly from what I've been told, but I was crying and sitting on a crate at the Farmer's market. A man in his mid twenties came to my rescue and took me to his home, gave me free room and board, and became my lifelong friend. Shortly after, and the order of sequence escapes me, but he moved across country, and I moved to my next address—in with my future first husband.
We met on the road in front of the Farmer's Market, I complimented him on his bright red "biggest tires I ever seen" truck and we instantly hit it off. After some time, we had become engaged. He lived and worked with his older cousin who had lost his own son in a traffic accident; I was told he was listening to "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd at the moment of the crash. I never knew him, but I hold his memory and his burdens in my heart. I was asked to move in and was offered a beautiful room to sleep—I accepted. During the year that we lived in this house, I remember meeting the next door neighbor! I also recall a really nice UPS man that would drop off packages for both houses. I don't know what I did, but one day he said he had something for me. When I opened the bag, it was a t-shirt that had a really colorful design with the words, "Good Hearted Woman!" I was proud that he wanted to compliment me in such a way.. That is a bittersweet memory, as I never saw him or the t-shirt again. But life happens the way it's supposed to—it always does. For now, we have a wedding to get to and a new house to buy.
As wonderful luck would have it, our new next door neighbors were family! We moved into a cute 2 bedroom house, near the farmers market and right next to his sister, who continues to remain in my life over forty years later. I really enjoyed this neighborhood, everyone was always so friendly to me. It is where I lived when my first child was born. I would push his stroller all over the neighborhood, and he always knew the way to go! The universe knew I needed help finding my way—this just a block over from our home!
One time, trying to be neighborly, I asked my brother-in-law if he wanted me to trim the hedges that separated our properties. He told me, "okay" and let me know to, "leave them about 2 feet high." I can still clearly hear him say it. I didn't know to take into account that his property was on an incline from mine. When I cut them down to two feet tall, standing in my yard, I wasn't aware that they were significantly lower on his side—until he came outside. I don't remember the words, but I remember the anger. That experience taught me a valuable lesson which is to look at things from other perspectives and make adjustments accordingly. I'm grateful this too passed.
Our street was incredible. I can't recall the specifics, but I know I really enjoyed being around the neighbors because no one seemed to judge me. Five or six of the houses would gather pretty often for a pool party up at another neighbor's house. It felt good to socialize, I can strongly remember the feeling that goes along with one still image—but it's blurred. Another neighbor was always there for me, and even to this day I am thankful for his presence in my life. I was his friend girl and maybe someday we will meet again, under different circumstances.
As it were, summers come, and summers go, and sometimes a new season brings extreme change—divorce was imminent. "Someday" I would hope to find a home that will be the last move, but this wasn't meant to last.
My next address was just an apartment not too far away. I was working as a night auditor at the hotel at the Farmer's Market. I can't really remember much about the apartment, other than where it was located. My son was living with his dad, so I worked a lot of hours, and I don't remember meeting any neighbors just tons of travelers and truck drivers.
The hotel ran van service for some trucking companies. I recall a statement that one of the drivers made, "Here's a dollar, you look beautiful without makeup, don't ever change!" That really resonated with my thoughts and has stuck with me for all these years. I can even remember the red plaid shirt he is wearing by the pixelated photo I see in my head. I remember enjoying the stories drivers would tell me. They always tugged at my heartstrings. Woah! I just had a moment remembering something a driver told me forty years ago, which could be related to something a neighbor just told me last week! It probably isn't, but you never know. It is a sensitive subject, and the details on my memory are very limited. I recall it clearly, but I only remember bullet points on this one. This would be too incredible to be a coincidence, but it would heavily support my theory—to be continued. Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."
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