My childhood home, 60 years later. What about yours?

by compound complex 18 Replies latest jw friends

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  compound complex

  Greetings, former children:

  I really miss my childhood home, which we left in 1960. Dad sold it for some 12,000 dollars; it recently sold for somewhere under 1.5 million. It's only a tiny bungalow but in a prosperous Bay Area town, not too far from San Francisco, California.

  The art and literature that are so important to me -- and for many others of us -- got their start in my heart and mind here in the California mountains. The reason I'm posting an interior shot of my house (found it online, totally remodeled and staged) is because it was the back porch and my bedroom.

  Outside the window you'll see a eucalyptus tree (HEY, SMIDDY!) and mountain range. Both were my early inspiration toward the artistic depiction of trees and mountains on canvas, with oil paints. Even as a tiny guy, I was fascinated by trees and mountains. I just stared and stared out the window, wondering about the houses and people on that mountain . . . I was sick for a while in 3rd grade, and I wrote a letter to my classmates about my observations. Weird kid.

  Well, this is where I got my start.

  Do you have a similar tale to tell?

  
  
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  jp1692

  CoCo: Do you have a similar tale to tell?

  I do. Details to follow ...
  
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  compound complex

  Great, jp!
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  charonsdog

  I had too many childhood homes. We kept moving to "where the need was greater", but I had the feeling that it was more than that. I think my mom, who is a staunch, ex-Catholic witness, would see the hypocrisy in the local bodies of elders and convince my dad that we needed to go to another congregation where the elders would be more Christlike. My dad served as an elder, too, and I remember him being upset by some of the actions of the others, although he never talked about it openly in front of us.

  At any rate, I can count six places I lived before I turned 19. No pictures to show, but a few months ago, on a whim, I Google-mapped one of the homes we occupied from 1975-1981. I got the street address, and mailed them a postcard from Thailand, where I now reside. Don't know if they got it. The street view of the home on the maps app showed that they cut down all of the big trees, filled in the in-ground pool we build, and put up a really ugly fence. Pity. The neighborhood really went downhill. Or I just have romantic memories of the place.
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  compound complex

  Thanks, charonsdog, for sharing that bit of childhood.

  I believe we do romanticize our early lives. Otherwise, parts of it would've been intolerable, what we've blocked out. Too bad about the 'hood going to the dogs. Seen that far too many times. You must have been really deflated by that. Sorry.

  Your childhood was different from mine in that you were already JWs, an entirely other way of living from us who were just back calls or Bible studies -- "people of good will" -- as we were called then. No commitment.

  Best regards.
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  compound complex

  My first oil painting, at 11 years old. Done as a school assignment. I guess there was no worry about toxicity in the '50s.

  
  
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  Bungi Bill

  The place where I grew up has long since become a ghost town (direct result of a phenomenon called "Rogernomics"), and the house I grew up in was sold off for removal. I have no idea where the relocated building now sits. However, I still frequently have dreams of the old place - particularly as my fortunes have declined somewhat over these last few years!
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  compound complex

  Thanks, Bungi Bill:

  Yes, one's home being removed. Think it's called eminent domain. Too bad for that and the declining fortunes -- sounds mighty familiar!
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  smiddy3

  Sorry to say my first home that I grew up in till about 12 yrs. has long gone now, a 2 storey terrace house with a small iron fenced veranda .Similar types of houses that still exist in the inner suburbs of Melbourne (Carlton) fetch 1-2 million dollars nowadays

  My second house I lived in till I got married was in the outer suburbs of Melbourne Close to the Olympic Village where the athletes stayed for the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne (Heilderberg West)

  My wife and I have counted over 40 times we have moved in our lifetime mostly renting and only twice have we owned a home thanks to my last employer of over 28 years.

  And yes CoCo I do have a fondness for Gum trees their was a grassed hilly roundabout situated between the Melbourne Cemetery and the Melbourne University which we called 2 tree hill where we would rest as kids after playing football or cricket in the streets.

  There was`nt anywhere neer as many cars in those days as their is today.

  Your painting was depicting the fall ? Autumn down here,LOL
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  LisaRose

  I moved around a lot, so don't have one childhood home, but one house I remember fondly was near Avila Beach California, it was an old farmhouse. I have many happy memories of roaming the hills and playing in the barn. Sadly, the last time I went by it had fallen down, just rubble. My mom actually built a room on in the fifties, that part fell down first, lol. The little two room schoolhouse where I went to first grade is still there though, it's a wine tasting room and art gallery now.

  I currently live in the bay area and I love the eucalyptus trees too. With our winter rain the hills have greened up and it's so pretty, I am happy to live here.