Isn't it amazing how our cities and towns have changed over the years? We think back when we were children and remember where a store used to be, or a park we used to go to often. Now we look at it and it may be a Shopping Mall, or a new Community. We just sit there and think what good times we had and maybe even miss them a little bit, or a lot.
I read a post earlier today by JudyAnn Lorenz titled Guns, Germs & Steel --- It still happens and it really made me think. What it made me think about was pretty much off topic but it brought back some great memories. The more I thought about it, the deeper I thought about when I was a child. I thought about Dreams and Aspirations and about how it's amazing how we change-along with our towns. We change to stay up with the times.
As a child I loved Animals and Wildlife. We used to have some woods at the end of our street and I loved going in the woods to see what I could find, getting lost and finding my way out. When I was in High School I wanted to be a Marine Biologist. I thought about how amazing it would be to study the Oceans. Not necessarily because of the Marine Life, but because the Oceans are virtually the only thing on the Planet that has not been completely overrun by Humans. We can't build houses down there. We do not have any Shopping Malls under water. The Marine Life in the Oceans have the place to themselves. How Amazing would that be?
Before I get too off topic here, the post also reminded me of Family Vacations. Much of my Extended Family lives in Oklahoma and Kansas. When we went to visit family I would get to spend weeks on Farm Property. Acres upon Acres of Ranches. I absolutely LOVED it. I could ride Horses from Dawn 'til Dusk. There were no houses as far as you could see! Just Land!
But the one thing that JudyAnn's post reminded me of the most was a Road Trip through the Ozark Mountains that my family took as a child.
I remember the Roads being Long and Winding. It felt like it took forever to get anywhere but that was OK with me. It was Gorgeous! Just GREEN Mountains and Hilltops as FAR as you could see. Nothing but trees, grass, flowers-occasionally a house.
One house in particular caught my eye. It was one Lonely house on top of a Huge Hilltop. I remember telling my Dad "I want THAT house one day!" It was not a Big house. That is not why I wanted it. It was the fact that it was the ONLY one you could see for miles. It was so secluded that I can't even imagine what it would take to drive to it.
I remember thinking what it would be like to live in that house. You could see for miles from your front porch. You would be surrounded by Wild Life. Real Wild Life. Not Wild Life that has had to adapt to the Ever Changing Topography of the City and its Suburbs. Imagine what that would be like! You would be a guest on the Mountain.
I think I was about 11 when we took that trip. As you grow up you sometimes forget about those small Dreams. Look around us now. Everything has changed in the past 20-30 years. Some towns are unrecognizable they have grown so much. What happened to preserving some of our nations beauty? Something tells me that if I drove down that road now, I would not be able to find that house I wanted so much.
Imagine what it would be like if Large Towns would Redevelop Older or Abandoned areas instead of growing wider and larger. Do you think that would ever work? Will all of these New Construction Homes be needed 30 years from now? Will the homes built in 1960 still be needed 30-40 years from now? JudyAnn's post really got me thinking tonight.
This photo I borrowed from janeAnne Narrin. How gorgeous is that! Not a home to be seen. The kid in me would still love to have a home on top of that big Mountain WAY in the back of the photo. Thank you janeAnne for letting me use this!
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