Sunday Scribblings
Why do I live where I live?
Dig through the layers.
I live where I live because this is where the university is where Ed is doing his PhD.
I live where I live because when pregnant with Helena, I could no longer take living in a third floor walk-up with the laundry in the basement.
I live where I live because when Ed and I married we knew that we would spend some time living in the United States, so I could live here as a grown up, so he could see where I come from, so we could be here and then go back to England (I nearly wrote home, but that would take too much explicating) and I wouldn’t always be wondering whether I should really live in the US.
I live where I live because this is the house we could afford.
I live where I live because here is where I painted a tree on the wall and painted the playroom purple with red windowsills and planted clematis and climing hydrangea in the garden and fought the carpenter bees and the mice and the giant man-eating cockroaches and won.
I live where I live because this house we could afford put us on a street with some of the most wonderful, interesting, searching people. We are amazingly, gratefully, lucky in our neighbors — in our friends who happen to be our neighbors.
I live where I live because this is as far as I can live from the ocean without getting twitchy.
I live where I live because Philadelphia is a hidden gem of a city — affordable, interesting, vibrant and friendly.
I live where I live because it is where we now live. We have lived elsewhere and will do again and yet each place is written into us and so is this place — our children’s childhood, the infancy of our parenthood, where Helena was born, where we walked through the lean years, where we lived, gardened, knitted, read, talked, laughed, cooked, argued, cried, celebrated. We lived where we live.
This was prompted by Sunday Scribblings.
Sounds beautiful. And warm. And happy ;0)
You’re a quite poetic. I enjoyed reading this . . . it made me think a lot. Not only about your choices but why I live where I live.
This is a good meme – I enjoyed reading it, and i’m already thinking about what I would (might) write on this.
I planted a climbing hydrangea a few years ago – white lacecap – and I think it might flower a bit this year!
That last paragraph got me.
That was really nice.
I loved this. It has taken me along time to find peace where ever I am. As a rootless airforce brat, we always left when ever the newness of a city wore off. My husband and I often dream of other lives we could have in other places, but we know that we never will. Our family is here. The pay off would not be enough. I live in a place full of imperfections, but if you choose you can find yourself surrounded in beauty anywhere.
ahhhhhh….
i loved how you wrote this.
captivating.
i think i shall move to philidelphia.
thank you.
How lovely! You’re really making the most of where you are now and enjoying your life. As someone who’s moved many many times in my life (including to London), I can identify with your journey. Thanks for sharing your story.
Your line about fighting with the carpenter bees and the giant man-eating cockroaches made me laugh – I’ve waged those battles in other places, myself. May you continue to reign victorious in your castle!
you’re a believer in determining your own fate? we all live where we live due to the choices we make…or do we all make choices in order to fulfill our own prophesies?
I for one, incline to go with the first choice.