Times Past

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Do you ever see an abandoned house in the country and wonder what memories it holds? It's strange that I never think like this about an abandoned house in the city as those never seem so personal. This house is just outside Independence, TX thoughtfully placed on a knoll overlooking the rolling hills. It was a pretty day and I had my camera (had shot a horse event nearby) so I decided to try and capture the scene. I'm not sure I did it justice in my mind.

I envision the pride and joy on move-in day. The metal roof has protected it well compared to similar structures. The paint has also weathered well. It does not look like a shack erected with minimal funds or vision. This house was built with a future very different than its current state. Let's plant a few simple bushes to break up a bit of a baron landscape. I can see the struggles of rural life yet the joys of children playing and gathering of friends and family. I see a house become lonely with hard times. Was it a lack of funds to maintain it? Did kids move off and the owners grow too old to stay? Did a death create the transition and the current owners are just unable to part with the memories and can't imagine selling it?

My mind rambles - almost as much as this note. Miranda Lambert's hit The House That Built Me often pops into my head - particularly true when I pass by my childhood home on visits to Amarillo. The house is still occupied by the people Mom and Dad sold it to somewhere around 1975/76. Maybe I'll make another post some day about that house and a few of those memories (early 1960's through my 1975 departure to A&M).

Thanks,
Doug White

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