how traveling around your neighborhood on foot changes your perspective of the place. While driving I find I yearn to be able to see buildings, certain yards, parks, shops. they pass by so quickly that hints and questions linger and the neighborhood remains unknown.I travel a lot on foot. running errands, shopping, going to parks and playgrounds and the library. There is time on foot to take in the surroundings. Time to notice the first green buds which will turn soon into crisp green leaves. Time to notice community eccentricities; like the strange penchant this new neighborhood of mine has for poured cement garden statuary and water features. Time to
notice the sky and how the horizon lies above the maze of houses. Time to notice that the shops that intrigue you as you speed passed in a car are either more interesting, or more grungy than you would have thought. Time to notice the other places that don't stand out.I'm finding myself at home here. Bit by bit I'm settling in and taking ownership of my community, if only to know that two doors farther on there is a stone garden featuring a forest green cement turtle and a sky blue cement heron.
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3 comments:
So super to know you are already finding yourself home in your new environment. Your post made me realise that I should gou out in my neighborhood more often! Happy weekend! :)
I'm glad your discovering new things! Those are gorgeous pictures by the way.
I agree, driving gives that gogogo feeling that we get that stops us from noticing charming little details. Me, I'm a sucker for taking trains and subways. There's not much around Cleveland but any time I'm away I love to go with the public transportation because there are fascinating people around. When I was in Chicago there was a man who'd set up his guitar and had quite an impressive voice just singing at the station.
We have the same thing at our Seabus and skytrain stations here, Frenzy. Last week on my way to a playdate there was a flutist at the seabus and a panflute performer at the skytrain. Miranda was entranced. I tend to pick favourite houses in my neighborhoods that I like to walk by. A lot of the homes near us are too big and too new to really grab at me; I like a smallish older home with character. There is a sprinkling of older homes here and there. So far I haven't hit on a keeper yet.
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