The Streets are getting more and more empty

Good Morning Dianne,

You are right subdivisions do have life cycles and we have watched families move in and out, most stay.  The young people of my granddaughters age are all moving on and I do see some young families with numerous children walking down the streets.  I am glad for that.  Our particular street only has 2 young children, we do not see them much as they are a 2 parent working family and are not here many weekends.  It surely did seem empty yesterday. Quiet, very quiet.

Good Morning Myrl,

We have only lived here since 1994 but long enough to see many changes as you have.  I too have seen neighbors I had not seen in a while and they look much older than the last time I saw them.  I often wonder if they think the same of me.  I do relish my "quiet" time, but miss the chaotic energy of kids hanging around. It was full of life and fun.  It is different, and who would think, for me this is the second time around for an empty house.  Our kids live fairly far away so I don't get to see them as often as I would like, but I do have more time for real estate and for painting and I appreciate that aspect.

Good Morning Cindy,

You are so right neighborhoods do have an ebb and flow, coming and going.  I have to say though that I miss the years that were slower for families and kids played outside more.  So many families are so busy with the kids being in this and that, mothers driving them to one practice only to be followed by another or something happening almost every day of the week.  They don't have time to be kids and mothers don't have time to enjoy that aspect of their children.

Good Morning Juli,

Boy things do change and to me it seems fast, although I know they did not change that fast in this neighborhood, it is just that time seems to go by faster every year although I know it does not really go faster.  Our house is so different than when we first purchased it all those years ago.  I tried to put a photo on the post of our house but had so much trouble downloading any of the photos I took even though I took them to the lowest level and they should have downloaded.  Technology.  IKES!  Thank you for your thoughts.

Good Morning Mel,

That is how it feels to me.  So many people I know don't understand the sense of the emptiness when you look down the hall and the sounds are gone and only the echo of no sound remains. Sounds strange, but my guess is you just understood my meaning.  Her room is so very empty, OMGosh so I don't look too often.  Her things are packed in tubs and stored for when she wants them, things  she could not take so it really is empty but that was the only way I could do it.  I am going to repaint it and asked her what she thought I should do to keep her engaged a little.  So we talked about it.  The one thing I can say for Gabby is that she is not terribly attached to material things and at 18 I think that is amazing.

Yes, I plan on going to the Active Rain Meet-up on Tuesday.  I look forward to meeting so many people.  Will you be going, I know it is a long way for you, but I can say it would be wonderful to meet you.  Have a good Holiday.

Hi Sussie,

Thank you so much for the kind words and insight. It has only been three weeks, but I can say that it seems a lot longer than that.  Strange.  I do know I am a lot more free than I was for sure, last school year I could not even go to office meetings that began at 9:30 am because I was taking and picking up from school.  Now I find that I can go to bed anytime I choose where before if it was the weekend I waited up until I heard her come in, and she was always always on time.  She and my husband both told me to go to bed and not to worry but I just could not do that.  Besides it is not fun to come home to either a dark or sleeping house. It gave me peace of mind to be up, see how she was and perhaps even have some conversation.

I am doing more watercolor painting now and just started a new canvas, this is nice and one of the things Gabby asked me to do was more painting after she left.  I think she realized how much I had put on hold.  Thank you so much for your thoughts and sharing with me what you do, it is appreciated.

Mary

Hi Pam,

When I began the post, I meant to have it go towards the fact that kids were growing up and moving on to college and so on, but it did not come out that way. I was just writing and sometimes when I do that the article is written before I have had a chance to think about it.  All of you who have commented have seen between the lines in a way I did not imagine, thank you. Things change and we go on having been blessed with the yesterdays.  I hope you have a beautiful weekend.

Mary

Hi Lisa,

Neighborhoods do ebb and flow don't they.  It is strange to me when the kids you used to see playing in the streets and then on the football fields are suddenlty gone and off to college and no one replaces them.  Quiet, but sometimes a little too quiet.  Thank you for commenting and I hope you are having a good week.

Hi Debb,

the seadsons of life are very beautiful, and sometimes the transitions are the most difficult of all.  It was so good to meet you on Tuesday.  I am thrilled.  I would love to get together for girls time whenever it works out, that would be fun.  I leave for Hawaii on the 26th of September.  Far away and not so far away.  Lots to do prior for sure.

Susan,

What a pleasure to have met you.  Tuesday was very fun and meeting everyone was great along with such good conversation. I am glad you have joined us on Active Rain.  I have not been here very long really, but have gained so much from it so far.  I look forward to many more fun meetings in the future.  If there is every anything I can do to help you here, even though I don't know all that much, please do not hesitate to ask.

Mary