Looking Back Thanks To Google Earth

It's amazing that I can remember two addresses from my past.  One is when I was in Harrison, Arkansas.  I was twelve years old when my dad left for Korea. We ended up in Harrison. It wasn't too far from Yelville where his mom lived.  You would think this would be to our advantage but it wasn't.  My "grandparents" weren't anything like grandparents should be. We were ignored. My mom was charged for a homemade pie, jam, trips to town and anything else we might need. They didn't want us.  We wanted to visit their farm alot but they wouldn't let us unless Mom was with us.  We were well behaved but it didn't matter. Mom tolerated them.We could have been better on an island alone.

Since Mom was British, we were worse than black in the south.  Mom studied and got her citizenship but that still didn't matter--we were scum to our relatives and the neighbors.

Above are two views of the old house.  It looks better--new siding and roof and a new patio in back.  I had to add a picture of the back since I almost burnt down the house playing with fire on the driveway.  There was an overhang above where my brother and I built a little campfire.  Mom got home early that day--praise God!  She put out the fire before it reached the overhang.  I have had a fear of fire since then.

The house had heaters in the floor--big rectangles with a huge grate ontop.  I remember my little two year sister walking across it too many times when it was hot, burning the bottoms of her feet.  I swear she still has scars.

The other address I remember is on Clover Lane in Columbus, Georgia.  I lived somewhere on Clover Lane when I went to 1st grade.  Don't remember the house number but remember the time that a big black snake made it into my brother's crib.  We had the river behind the house, I suppose the snake wanted a better place to live.  I thought it was cool at the time--mother, however, didn't.  

When I married Dan, my first husband, we moved into 302 Clover Lane.  It was one of a series of shanti shacks.  Well maybe a step up from shacks.  Three rooms--living room, bedroom, kitchen and a closet of a bathroom.  We had to pay extra for an air conditioning window unit--but it was so worth it!

The old house with the red painted auto repair next door.

Next door was a car repair garage (it is still there), a beauty salon, and a German delicatessen.  I could never afford any food from the delicatessen but our cat would lay on the doormat into the store.  He wouldn't move unless he got food.  Too bad he wouldn't bring some of that food home.

My next door neighbors around the corner on the main street.

Things were tough then.  I worked at Burger King and Dan went to school on the GI bill.  I would deliberately mess up a whopper burger or two.  When we messed up, we got to take home the food.  In those days, sometimes the only food we had were those burgers. 

On the corner of the street was a grocery store that I remembered from first grade when my brother and I would walk up to get an ice cream bar and a soda with our allowance. Now it has been replaced with a computer repair store.

I look back and really appreciate where I am now.  The past is the past.  I have learned from it and move on.