I'm sitting here in my nice warm house with my nice hot coffee while watching the wind work on removing the remaining leaves from my trees. The sound of the wind is what makes me nostalgic. When I was still in elementary school my dad was transferred to New Mexico to work on a "special project". I didn't know it was only a temporary move so I made the mistake of falling in love with my new state. What we were experiencing was magical to me. I found my home! It was magical for my mom too. She loved it so much she would sit and stare out the windows, cry, and wipe more dust off the window seals. It was wonderful! I would fall asleep at night listening to the wind. It was so peaceful.
My brother, Glenn, and I embraced New Mexico for all it was worth. I'm not sure I ever saw my mom or three sisters step outside during our stay out there but Glenn and I loved it. It seems there were things provided by nature itself to entertain us. Our first excited find was what some called "tumbleweeds". We knew these were actually manna from heaven and we tried to collect every weed that rolled by. We wore ourselves out trying to catch them all before they got away. We needed a good place to store our collection of course so we used the garage daddy had so thoughtfully added to the plans of our new house. Glenn and I really appreciated that thoughtfulness and we used it daily. Our first use was on the first day daddy went to work...and we hadn't enrolled in the new school yet. We roamed the open spaces, found an alfalfa field close by for our new hiding place, collected tumbleweeds until the garage was so full we were afraid we might damage them if we forced any more in. Who knew how long this tumbleweed blessing might last?
Eventually we had to make that long and much dreaded trek to the new school. It was so far we thought we might need to pack a lunch even though my mom insisted it was less than a quarter-mile across an open field. She walked with us that first day...I guess to make sure we actually went. As much as I loved my new home, I hated my new school. I'm sure I've already bored you with that first day so just as a quick reminder: 1) My brand new shiny-headed crew cut was not the rage in Roswell, New Mexico; 2) I was sporting my new shoes which were off brand Hush Puppies...in olive green: there weren't enough desks in my classroom so I had to sit at the teacher's desk staring at a class of unfriendly faces looking back at me; 3) and of course, it was late enough in the school year that I had grown out of all my clothes. I was immediately branded "high water" because my jeans were so short my argyle socks were the predominate sight down there...no one even seemed to notice my green, off brand Hush Puppies until the newness of high water jeans grew old.
As I sit here remembering all of this I wonder why I get so nostalgic when the wind blows hard enough to hear. I still love the sound though and I still love thinking back on my short time in Roswell, New Mexico.
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