Slice of Life Story Challenge March 5 - Housing Your Memories



It has taken me some time to connect with our new house. We moved in at the beginning of December after moving from our house of some 16 years. Our relationship is a work in progress. I am keen to unravel its secret. Initially when you walk around inside a new space; a new home you are keen to feel a sense of connection –you seek it out. This time it wasn’t immediate. It wasn’t strong. Give it time I told myself. It will happen. Don’t force it. Relax…

Initially, I missed my old patterns of movement. I moved about in that space quite unconsciously. I missed the familiarity of layout. I missed the routines that house inspired. I knew where to sit, where to stand, where to ponder and where to seek out solitude if I needed time to think. I knew where I liked to go with a cup of tea and a book. The old house had its own peculiar sounds –whispers and moans. We were comfortable with each other, that house and I. No longer do I hear the birds walking on the roof in the early hours of the morning. – I don’t miss that. I just note its absence. The whispering of the trees is less noticeable at our new location. The trees here are generally less developed. They need time to wrap themselves around us and soften the sky.

When we moved, I found myself wandering into rooms in the manner of an old dog and having to stop and think –why am I here? It was an adjustment. The old house was two story. This house is single story, slightly larger and the rooms are quite differently configured, so it was understandable to feel a little disoriented, I told myself.

Our new house provides great light. Its open design invites the outside in. The difference is significant. We continue to shape the outside areas to suit our needs. Gardens and contemplation areas are slowly emerging. And just today Vicki found aquiet, shaded area near the back of the house where we pulled up a couple of chairs and shared an afternoon cup of tea and a conversation. An added bonus is that ourback gate provides easy access to nearby Fisherman’s Beach along a green belt pathway that winds gently beach-ward.
As I walk around our new neighbourhood, pathways and patterns are emerging.
Already I sense that this house is quiet by nature. It doesn’t creak and moan.  Tucked away from view, a hidden gem perhaps?

Don’t get me wrong, it was time to move and I embrace that fact. That old house had amassed great memories, but equally, great challenges…

Memories and moments need the essential ingredient of time for the bond to strengthen. This is the essential glue of building a connection. I am learning to listen to this house. Adjust to its peculiarities and appreciate its gifts. Hello house…



Comments

  1. Donna Smith5 March 2013 at 21:04

    We will be moving to a home we are restoring/renovating. It will be much different from where we live now. We've lived here 12 years, but have owned a number of houses in our 40 years together. Each time, we had to undergo those warming up/getting to know each other periods. After all, you are meshing your being with this new unknown personality of a house - much like a marriage!

    ReplyDelete
  2. CMacWW5 March 2013 at 23:05

    My husband and I are renovating my dad's house and will be moving their soon so I connected quite easily, but I loved your piece! "Memories and moments need the essential ingredient of time" really struck a chord.

    ReplyDelete
  3. BK6 March 2013 at 00:03

    I can't imagine moving from my apartment but that could happen when the romance with the Hudson River in winter wears thin. I can understand your push and pull. Enjoy getting comfortable.

    ReplyDelete
  4. elsie6 March 2013 at 03:46

    You will unravel the secrets of this new house. I love the way you are feeling your way through this transition, slowly and observing the strengths of this new place.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nancy_Armenta6 March 2013 at 12:00

    I moved almost 10 times in my 23 years of life. I know what it feels like to adjust to a new place. It doesn't always smell like home, even driving to the new home just feels so unfamiliar. It takes some time, but eventually it will be "home". Good luck in your new place.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Cathy6 March 2013 at 14:18

    Alan,
    I'm currently living in the house I grew up in so many years ago. My parents built the house when I was young. My husband and I bought it from them when they moved. I've lived here so long now I cannot quite imagine leaving it. I've grown accustomed to everything about it. Sometimes I think a change would be nice, but then I remember I have everything I need right here.

    I suppose having a house I have been in so long helped me to connect to your piece, but it was really more than that. Your piece is so well written. Perhaps it is the way you talk about the house; as if it is someone you might one day grow to enjoy. Perhaps it is the way you share the things you miss (or remember) about the old house: the "familiarity of layout," the "whispers and moans" of it, or the birds walking on the roof. As a reader I feel you sadness for the loss of the old house, as well as your hope for the new one.

    "Memories and moments need the essential ingredient of time for the bond to strengthen." I hope you will soon find that connection.

    Thanks for this wonderful piece. Perhaps this piece has inspired my own piece about my house. Hmmm.

    Cathy

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular With Other Visitors

Writing Opposite Poems

Image
 O pp o s ite  P oem s In his book, ' How To Write Poetry,'  Paul Janeczko presents the idea of opposite poems. Paul suggests they could also be referred to as antonym poems. This is wordplay and it's fun to try. Here are some examples Paul provides to help us see very clearly how these short little poems work. I think the opposite of chair Is sitting down with nothing there What is the opposite of kind? A goat that butts you from behind Paul Janeczko You will  notice the poems are written in rhyming couplets. They can be extended so long as you remember to write in couplets. Paul shows us how this is done. What is the opposite of new? Stale gum that's hard to chew A hot-dog roll as hard as rock Or a soiled and smelly forgotten sock You might notice that some of Paul's opposite Poems begin with a question. The remainder of the poem answer the question posed. Opposite poems are a challenge, but it is a challenge worth trying. Not every thing has a
Read more

Writing About Reading - Reading Reflection Journals:

Image
UPDATED February 2022 Writing in response to literature can be a great way for students to organize their thoughts, explore what they think, and generate ideas. One of the strengths of writing in journals is that it allows students to capture all of those great ideas that generally float off into the air during the discussion.  Journal writing can also become drudgery if students are asked to write too often, given little choice or inspiration in what to write, or if they simply don't have anything to say. While some students eagerly share their impressions about selections they have read in class discussions, others are less comfortable and keep their thoughts to themselves. In an effort to encourage all students to think more about what they read and confidently share their observations and opinions, some teachers are turning to the reading reflection journal and are gaining insights they never anticipated.  The Value of Reflection Journals   Journals assist teachers to gain i
Read more

Learning How to 'Zoom In' When Writing

Image
It is important for young writers to understand that not all parts of a story are equal. There are parts through which a writer moves quickly, and important parts where the writer slows down and lingers a while. This is where the writer might intensify the action or reveal the character’s reactions in greater detail. Young writers need to know that this is a deliberate strategy on the part of the author. The author consciously zooms in. The writer uses a magnifying glass to view a part of the story more closely; to focus on a moment and to slow down time. When an important part of the story is enlarged upon, it   is a signal to the reader, that this part of the story is important. The strategy of ‘zooming in’ goes by many names: ‘exploding a moment’ ‘magnifying a moment’, ‘hotspot’ ‘snapshot’, ‘adding detail’ or ‘slowing the action.’  What ever the name, the idea is the same. The author writes in a way that expands a significant part of the story with the intention of drawing t
Read more

Answering Questions Posed by Young POETS

Image
UPDATED, May 2020 As a frequent visitor to schools I have the great pleasure of working with groups of young, enthusiastic poets and their teachers. When I arrive in a classroom, young poets are often pre-loaded with questions, and most keen to have them answered.  I try to answer as many as I can, but we frequently run out of time, and the poetry caravan moves on to the next classroom. So I am here to answer some of those questions -right here, right now. So here goes: When you were little did you love writing? The short answer is yes. I have always enjoyed words and language. I can't recall a time when I wasn't doing some kind of writing. When did you write your first poetry book? I have had poems published over the years, but it wasn't until 2014 that I had an entire book of poems (an anthology) published. When I looked back through all my notebooks I realized I had hundreds of poems from which to choose. So, 'Searching For Hen's Teeth-Poetry From The
Read more

Slice Of Life Story-The Trials Of A Left Handed Writer

Image
Amazingly I learnt to write using my left hand. An achievement against the prevailing beliefs of the day. My very first teacher saw it as her mission in life to ‘fix’ the poor, wretched little boy suffering from what she clearly diagnosed as left handed disease. She must have thought, 'This child must be re formatted! If he remains left handed he will be forever condemned to writing in a scrawl that no one will be able to read. Ugly hand, ugly hand.' ...They tried to say it couldn't be done, it mustn't be done. They took the pencil out of my left hand and placed it in my right hand. It felt unnatural. It felt weird. It was not right. More to the point it was not left. I was not about to conform. At least they didn't try tying my hand behind my back. Watch me I said. I may be an oddball, left handed scribbler but I am a determined oddball. I mean how boring would the world be if everyone wrote with their right hand? So I dug my toes in –and my hands to
Read more