Tumbling Down... (Written several years ago)

There's this place that I love and although I'd never been there (at least not in this lifetime), it gives me such a wonderful feeling when I see it. Down in Valley View, across from a big stream, there was a large, two-story, creek rock house. I have a book that celebrates all the old homes, buildings and land in this area and they have an actual picture of this home..back in it's day. Breathtaking! I love it, but before I'd seen this photo, I was in love with this property.

When I first came across the land, the first thing that drew me to it was the small family cemetery behind it. The fields were overgrown with wild flowers and brambles, but you could still see the beauty of it all. To the left of the property is a large creek rock chimney and one wall of what used to be the main house, a far cry from the photo, but a glimmer of it's former grander is still recognizable. In the front of the property is a narrow, broken down, country road that I always felt was misplaced. I can close my eyes and picture this home in my head, but the road is never there, just a large front lawn that leads straight to the large creek in front of it. I always want to "gather water" when I see it. Another reason I, sometimes, have to question the existence of reincarnation because in this life, I've never gathered anything, including water.

The land was vacant, I'm sure someone owned it, but you couldn't tell. Nothing was up-kept. Even the cemetery was overgrown, but it didn't keep me out of it. I've strolled through it several times. The markers are just so aged, you can't really read anything. It's times like that, I wish I had my Mamow here because she always had a story about all the older homes, the lands, the buildings, she just knew many things about the region we live in. I do know that I had much family that came from that little community. Mamow told me many times about the characters that came out of Valley View. Apparently, the ones she knew were pretty wild. Unfortunately, all the family that would know about this subject, are all gone now. Well, back to the story...

I would pull into the old weed infested driveway and just sit there, listening to music, taking the familiar atmosphere in. Many lazy spring and summer afternoons were spent there, looking over the property, taking in the sweet jasmine and honeysuckle scent carrying through the breeze. To, there was this old creek rock well that looked as though it had been added to the land after several years of "creek" living. I'm sure that was a blessing to whomever resided in the home. It must have been back-breaking work carrying water across the fields daily for use of washing, cleaning, drinking, cooking and bathing. I could only imagine the troubles of that time. Funny how, even though that was some hard living back in the days, there are still many things from that time that would be lovely if they'd carried over to now. It just seems to have been a much slower paced lifestyle. People were friendlier too. Now, everyone is so busy, so stressed, so stuck in their own troubles and issues that they don't really have the time or patience to worry about someone else's needs.

I haven't been there for awhile because I've been fairly busy the last few months and also, I don't drive around that much in the country anymore, again with the "things to do". I decided the other day, to take a quick peek at it - I've been missing it. I go by and the sole creek rock wall and chimney have been torn down! The land has been cleared and the well, filled in, fitted with plants and was rewalled with red brick!! I swear, I just couldn't believe my eyes!

After the initial shock and horror, I began looking around & the creek-bed rocks from the remains of the house have been stacked into two entrance posts and a mailbox slot. A house is being built on the land, a red brick one, standard Ranch style, nothing fancy, nothing like what formerly stood in it's place years earlier. My heart ached. Literally ached for what used to be. Even the hills behind the home had been touched. Mowed, a few less attractive trees, bushes and flower shrubs torn down and discarded. The cemetery was mowed, weeded, an old wreath tossed away and several old flower pots disposed of. Granted, it did look better, but the land had been violated, touched by someone that seemed to not have cared that at one time, these things meant something to the person that placed it on the grave of a loved one.

I know that once I pulled over and got out of my car, I just stood there in agony and took in all the destruction. I swear, if I'd known the land was purchasable, I would have tried to buy it in an instant. Sure, I would have cleaned the place up, but not taken that wall and chimney down! Why? It wasn't appealing? Come on! Turns out, the new inhabitance of the property are distant relatives of the people that had the land previously. Obviously, their love of history is non-existent.

I turned my back to the house and took in the familiar creek that was bubbling and flowing. At least they couldn't harm it, but for the first time, I noticed that broken down road. The one you have to cross from the house to get to the creek. The one I always thought was out of place and was never meant to be there. It was there! It was ugly and it was in the way and it wasn't apart of what this land was at all. Now, the land was nothing more than a commercial property - red brick, asphalt, metal, lumber and polish. Nothing really was the same. I wanted to walk over to the creek, take my shoes off, roll up my pant legs and wade in the cold clear waters like I had so many times before, but I just couldn't. None of it felt like it was mine anymore. I felt like I'd lost something, although, technically, I'd never had it to begin with, but, oh, how it felt like it had been mine. For years. I actually mourned the land.

I took one last look around and got back into my car, cranked up my music and left it all behind. I felt sad. Moody. Cranky. Even when I think of it now, I can only sigh and shake my head. I can't see how anyone can disregard such beauty and blow it off as a "fixer-upper" when so much of a former time had been laid bare there, just waiting and hoping for someone to come along and see it, protect it. I feel like I let something down, but, I can't dwell on it because nothing can be changed now. Even if I could purchase the land, the damage has been done. The wall had already came tumbling down and not even Humpty Dumpty could put it back together again.