freewrite week 5 day 7

It’s funny to think about when I was ten and we had moved to Springfield.  I hated it so much because it wasn’t my home. I was an Army brat and was used to living on a base versus an actual city.  My friends and I could relate to each other because our parents all did the same thing.  Moving here was the most traumatic move which says a lot because I had moved a dozen times already in my life.  It might have been worse because of the preteen age when we moved.  I hated the people, I hated the places, and I hated the schools.  I could no longer relate to anyone around me.  I didn’t feel like it wasn’t till I was in my mid-twenties that I had come to appreciate where I live.  I had just gone on a long vacation and we were coming back into town.  I remember this wave wash over me like “I’m Home!” Ever since then I’ve finally considered this place my home town.  I have lived here long enough to have seen it grow and change.  I’ve come to love the small things.  The crazy drivers who think yellow means green at a light.  How people lose the ability to drive during the first rain or snow.  I found great dive bars and stay away from downtown when I can help it.  That may be more about the fact that I’m older now and don’t really need the college bar scene.  The people have grown on me.  They are mostly nice and good.  I have lived on every side of the city so I know what it’s like everywhere here.  Some places make me sadder than most.  The north side was depressing for me to live because it was unchanging.  The houses were almost obsessive.  I can still feel the change when traveling to area.  Houses had a grime to them.  Yards had toys, broken cars, or bags of trash in them.  What was more surprising was the lack of beauty even from nature.  The most beautiful dogwood couldn’t cover a home that should be condemned.  It’s also a part of town to live in makes you stronger and appreciate not living there more.