Monday, January 9, 2012

The House On Monterrey by Jeff Turner

 Jeff has published two books, the story of a marriage before divorce and another after divorce, Notes To Stephanie: Middle Aged Love Letters and life Stories and Notes To Stephanie, Days Remembered. Today he is sharing an excerpt from Notes To My Kids: Little Stories About Grown Up Kids.   When he is not writing he is involved in I-T Projects and loves cooking.

 The House On Monterrey
For Roger and Jane...

It has been a long time since we lived on Monterrey Drive in east Fort Worth. However, the house and neighborhood still have an important place in my memories. For me it will always be your childhood home even though you both, as small children, left there for points east with your mom. Memories of our life in that little house still come alive almost every day.

I could probably write a book full of what happened to us as a family when we lived there. The fact is you played a big part in my life because you were always around during that time. When I drive home from Dallas on I-30, I see the signs of the streets on the bridges over the highway that lead back to our old neck of the woods. While I can’t see the house from that vantage point I can see the times spent there in my thoughts.

Little things and big things fill my mind about that house. It had a big oak tree in the back yard and those two pines in the front. The house had a unique floorplan. Remember the big den/dining room that ran through the middle?

We had many events there over the years with the squeals of delight at your birthday parties and the fun you and your friends had on the swing set in the back yard during the summer. Your grandparents visited often and there was lots of laughter and fun. Your mom and I thought the house looked like something out of the old “Leave It To Beaver” TV show, a program that showed a rather idealized version of family life. It may have been an unrealistic view of life but it was one that many people identify with in our culture to this day. It was a view of what a family should be like and how it should live.

And maybe that is what I am thinking  when I see that always white two story house with the dormers and its trees inside of my head. Perhaps I  want to paint an idyllic picture of our past life on top of the obvious reality of life’s ups and downs which is the real canvass we see ourselves painted on.

Regardless of why I feel that way or why I still hold that old house so dear now, I know that it is good to have such a place in my life. A place that can be an anchor in life’s always present storms and changes. A place, from which  I can pull from my bank of memories as I get older, the times that were good for us. A place we can still call our home even though we are far from its safe and comfortable shores.

9 comments:

J. A. Bennett said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
J. A. Bennett said...

Jeff, what a great excerpt. I love how the mental image of that house holds all the good memories and you can shelf it in your mind to take out and examine when you need too. Awesome stuff :)

Jeff Turner www.ilypants.net said...

Thank you very much. I just take everyday events and write about them since all of us have those things in our lives.

Anonymous said...

Jeff:
What an inspiring little piece. We all have memories of home. Whether or not they or happy or sad, it's still our home.
Thorne

Ruby Johnson said...

Jeff:
Thanks for posting such a meaningful piece. I visited my home state a few months back and went by what used to be my home growing up. My mom sold it after my dad died and moved into town. The house was gone! The road leading up my former home was nothing but a forrest of pine trees. It was like a piece of me went missing and all I had left was the memory.

Jeff Turner www.ilypants.net said...

Thank you all for the kind comments.

C. A. Szarek said...

Very nice Jeff! I liked it alot. :)

Anonymous said...

You've got a good situations for this new memoir. This piece is as enjoyable as the piece you read last Sunday. Thank you. George.

Jeff Turner www.ilypants.net said...

Thank you all very much, such things make writing worthwhile.

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