I loved this article! It reminded me of the joys of my childhood playing sports of every kind with the neighborhood kids. It was joyous, exciting and in a world all our own. My recollection of the landscape was how we always seemed to tear up the plants and shrubs around the neighborhood as we pushed, tackled or fell into them during our rough and tumble games. The parents in the neighborhood were all saints letting us tear up the neighborhood landscape without scolding us.
Your article speaks volumes about me and my total unawareness of the beauty that surrounded me then. All that landscape beauty was "out of bounds" on so many of our games and was not part of the game, so it wasn't a part of my attention then. I missed a lot there, but those games and matches were magic! Thank you for prodding my memory.
Gary, thanks so much for sharing your memories! I was laughing as I them - I can see it so clearly! And yes, the landscape of our childhood is a backdrop that we didn't really pay attention to when we were kids - it was just there, a given. Only when we grow up and leave it do we possibly see it more clearly in our memories. So I wonder: is there any similarity to the neighborhood you live in now (with plants and shrubs) to your childhood home?
They are probably pretty much similar, but now I don't go running into the neighbor's plants and shrubs.....at least not until the neighbors want to schedule a football game on one of the yards.
To make our playing field longer, we would play between two neighbor's yards. The rules were that there was no tackling while crossing the driveway separating the two yards......yeah right. I'm surprised there were no broken bones. Whoops.......I got away from the landscape discussion. I guess my home landscape was a playing field.
I believe this is the best piece you've written. You were able to explain with great clarity how "home" for some people is not always the physical location where we grew up, but sometimes can be a place we have spent time and use as a marker for how we lead our lives.
Yes, sometimes our childhood home is not carefree and easy. Tensions in the house or an unsafe neighborhood can make it difficult for us to truly play. And play is an essential component of home. The places where we felt safe and unburdened, happy and played, are the places that become a part of us - are "imprinted" on us - and always feel like home. Even when that place changes, we can stumble upon other places or elements that are similar and feel comfortable, feel like we are home.
Jan,
I loved this article! It reminded me of the joys of my childhood playing sports of every kind with the neighborhood kids. It was joyous, exciting and in a world all our own. My recollection of the landscape was how we always seemed to tear up the plants and shrubs around the neighborhood as we pushed, tackled or fell into them during our rough and tumble games. The parents in the neighborhood were all saints letting us tear up the neighborhood landscape without scolding us.
Your article speaks volumes about me and my total unawareness of the beauty that surrounded me then. All that landscape beauty was "out of bounds" on so many of our games and was not part of the game, so it wasn't a part of my attention then. I missed a lot there, but those games and matches were magic! Thank you for prodding my memory.
Gary, thanks so much for sharing your memories! I was laughing as I them - I can see it so clearly! And yes, the landscape of our childhood is a backdrop that we didn't really pay attention to when we were kids - it was just there, a given. Only when we grow up and leave it do we possibly see it more clearly in our memories. So I wonder: is there any similarity to the neighborhood you live in now (with plants and shrubs) to your childhood home?
Jan,
They are probably pretty much similar, but now I don't go running into the neighbor's plants and shrubs.....at least not until the neighbors want to schedule a football game on one of the yards.
To make our playing field longer, we would play between two neighbor's yards. The rules were that there was no tackling while crossing the driveway separating the two yards......yeah right. I'm surprised there were no broken bones. Whoops.......I got away from the landscape discussion. I guess my home landscape was a playing field.
hahahah! Yes, try not to destroy your neighbor's shrubs! And glad you didn't get hurt as a kid. But even the chance of that made it extra fun!
Interesting that the landscape of your youth and your current landscape are familiar, yes?
Yes....They are very similar, and I am much more aware and appreciative of the beautiful landscape around me now.
Jan,
I believe this is the best piece you've written. You were able to explain with great clarity how "home" for some people is not always the physical location where we grew up, but sometimes can be a place we have spent time and use as a marker for how we lead our lives.
Well done!
Yes, sometimes our childhood home is not carefree and easy. Tensions in the house or an unsafe neighborhood can make it difficult for us to truly play. And play is an essential component of home. The places where we felt safe and unburdened, happy and played, are the places that become a part of us - are "imprinted" on us - and always feel like home. Even when that place changes, we can stumble upon other places or elements that are similar and feel comfortable, feel like we are home.
Thank you for reading and responding!!