Yesterday, while driving home, I saw a house. Its lawn was manicured and it had newly mulched flower beds. I noticed that there was a section of newly replaced wooden fence. It looked particularly tidy and well groomed. I thought about it somewhat mindlessly. It seemed like the owner had intentionally fixed it up. Or maybe they took particular care to upgrade and maintain the house. I pondered whether it was for sale, or if new owners had just moved in. Absent of a pending or recent sale, I wondered what kind of person might put that kind of extra effort into their home without a specific reason. This thought reverberated in my mind because it is so far from what I have known in my life, especially while growing up. I don't remember my father ever changing the oil in our car or even washing it really. Nothing in our home ever seemed to receive attention unless it was needed. Sometimes, needs weren't met right away. Sometimes, needs were never met. Sometimes, needs faded away and made way for new needs.
When I saw the house, the site of it gave me a sense of déjà vu. It felt like I was stuck in a memory that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I couldn't decide what memories it invoked, but I felt them. It felt like childhood and family. It felt like the turning of a page. I thought about it for quite a while. I tried to place the thoughts and feelings that came over me but I couldn't. I thought it reminded me of my Granny's house. Her yard was always perfectly manicured. She had a tall wooden fence. Not the kind you buy in sections from a big box hardware store, but the kind that is specially built to maintain a certain aesthetic. I remember the smell of her home, which if I had to name it smelled new. I remember the crispness of the sheets on the guest bed I slept on. I remember the smell of mulch and fertilizer when stepping out of the back door into her garden. I remember the smell of coffee and the crinkling of newspaper when I entered the kitchen in the mornings. Every room, every surface, every piece of furniture felt cared for. It stood in stark contrast to my home life.
