EXPLAININ’

One thing I’ve disliked about moving to a new area was explainin’ myself to new neighbors. The things I’ve always been interested in never seemed to be the norm for others. For instance, the first thing I always asked was where is the library? In an area of new homes you’d be surprised how many people don’t know. I would ask about the local theaters or where I might find a singing group. To their credit, they would give me information about schools and garbage collections, which are important.

My furniture has always been different and so is my artwork. A friend asked me onetime why I had all those pillows. One thing I learned when moving is that you have to fit the things you have into your new home, so I’ve always bought new pillows or covered old ones with new material. Some people buy new furniture, especially when moving to Florida, we didn’t. My friend also told me that you’d finally feel at home when in the grocery store you’d run into someone you knew. I’ve always found that to be true.

One of the reasons I wanted to move from our last home after seven years was because the neighbors never did “get me”. For instance, when I had my paintings on display in our local library, not one remarked on them and when there was a big article in the newspaper about me, not one of them commented on it. When I wanted to show them my new paintings, I was told they had already seen them. These were supposedly good friends I would see virtually every day. When I complimented one of those neighbors on some cushions she had made, saying I didn’t know she sewed, her reply was “other people can do things too!” I eventually came to the conclusion I didn’t want to be around them anymore.

Now I have a lot of new friends and neighbors who I really think do “get me” for the most part. So now I don’t have to worry about those that don’t.