Sitting in the beauty of my flower garden, I often find myself looking in the rear view mirror of life and wonder what this part of Texas was like at the time of the Texas Revolution. Who owned the land in 1922? What did this area look like in 1980? There are some who will think, “What difference does it make?” and others who are willing to take a chance and jump on the train of retrospection.
One fine afternoon in 1983 I was in the mood to investigate a dirt road that was no more than a wide path made by adventurers before me. The path, located at the end of a two-lane road near the water tower located at New World and Miller Road went into a green belt where no one lived. At the time, I was driving a new pickup truck with good tires that provided me a false sense of I can do anything
attitude.
The dirt road wound around the water tower and after what seemed at least a total of 30 twists and turns that lead up and down hills, I ended my journey emerging from the green belt on the edge of Gibbs Sprawl Road next to a cemetery. It was at that moment I discovered I had been holding my breath in fear that I would get lost in the most disgusting dump zone I had ever seen. There were abandoned appliances, broken TVs, discarded furniture, old tires, and even an abandoned car scattered among mountains of broken glass and other household trash. I remember thinking, the area was an odd place for a landfill.
Both relieved and a little proud of myself, I went home to tell Eddie about the short cut I discovered. He asked me to show him and without hesitation, mostly because I would not be alone, I showed him. When we arrived at Gibbs Sprawl, he turned to me with a very serious expression and said, “Don’t come this way again.” Of course, I listened to him, but that did not stop the feeling that I was being drawn to the area.
Fast forward to a fall evening in 1989. Katie asked if we could give one of her band friends a ride home after the football game. Following her friend’s directions, we found ourselves driving up to a beautiful two-story home on Serene Ridge. We were so impressed with the beauty of the neighborhood! The streets were smooth and clean. A majority of the homes had well kept yards. I wanted to live in a neighborhood just like this one! Again, I had a strong feeling of being drawn to the area. One year later, in October 1990, Eddie and I moved our family into our home on Clear Ridge. Our selection had not been difficult. We had a list of homes to visit and the moment we walked in the front door of the house; we knew we were home! I was finished looking and we made our final decision.
The words in the theme from Mahogany, define the path we traveled to arrive home in 1990. The “dump” I traveled through was Crownwood before the builder cleared the land and built the homes! Once the journey was close to the end, we revisited the same area now developed and alive! Once again, we were drawn to Crownwood. The words of Gerry Goffin and Michael Masser the songwriters of “Do You Know Where You're Going To,” have helped me define the journey we took to come home.
Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showin' you?
Where are you going to?
Do you know?
Do you get what you're hopin' for
When you look behind you, there's no open doors
What are you hopin' for?
Do you know?
Once we were standin' still in time
Chasin' the fantasies that filled our minds
You knew how I loved you but my spirit was free
Laughin' at the questions that you once asked of me
Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you
Where are you goin' to?
Do you know?
Remembering Eddie...his favorite poem.
Sitting in the beauty of my flower garden, I often find myself looking in the rearview mirror of life and
wonder what this part of Texas was like at the time of the Texas Revolution. Who owned the land in
1922? What did this area look like in 1980? There are some who will think, “What difference does it
make?” and others who are willing to take a chance and jump on the train of retrospection.
On fine afternoon in 1983 I was in the mood to investigate a dirt road that was no more than a wide
path made by adventurers before me. The path, located at the end of a two-lane road near the water
tower located at New World and Miller Road went into a green belt where no one lived. At the time, I
was driving a new pickup truck with good tires that provided me a false sense of I can do anything
attitude.
The dirt road wound around the water tower and an after what seemed at least a total of 30 twists and
turns that lead up and down hills, I ended my journey emerging from the green belt on the edge of
Gibbs Sprawl Road next to a cemetery. It was at that moment I discovered I had been holding my
breath in fear that I would get lost in the most disgusting dump zone I had ever see. There were
abandoned appliances, broken TVs, discarded furniture, old tires, and even an abandoned car
scattered among mountains of broken glass and other household trash. I remember thinking, the area
was an odd place for a landfill.
Both relieved and a little proud of myself, I went home to tell Eddie about the short cut I discovered.
He asked me to show him and without hesitation, mostly because I would not be alone, I showed him.
When we arrived at Gibbs Sprawl, he turned to me with a very serious expression and said, “Don’t
come this way again.” Of course, I listened to him, but that did not stop the feeling that I was being
drawn to the area.
Fast forward to a fall evening in 1989. Katie asked if we could give one of her band friends a ride
home after the football game. Following her friend’s directions, we found ourselves driving up to a
beautiful two-story home on Serene Ridge. We were so impressed with the beauty of the
neighborhood! The streets were smooth and clean. A majority of the homes had well kept yards. I
wanted to live in a neighborhood just like this one! Again, I had a strong feeling of being drawn to the
area. One year later, in October 1990, Eddie and I moved our family into our home on Clear Ridge.
Our selection had not been difficult. We had a list of homes to visit and the moment we walked in the
front door of the house; we knew we were home! I was finished looking and we made our final
decision.
The words in the theme from Mahogany, defines the path we traveled to arrive home in 1990. The
“dump” I traveled through was Crownwood before the builder cleared the land and built the homes!
Once the journey was close to the end, we revisited the same area now developed and alive! Once
again, we were drawn to Crownwood. The words of Gerry Goffin and Michael Masser the songwriters
of “Do You Know Where You're Going To,” have helped me define the journey we took to come
home.
Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showin' you?
Where are you going to?
Do you know?
Do you get what you're hopin' for
When you look behind you, there's no open doors
What are you hopin' for?
Do you know?
Once we were standin' still in time
Chasin' the fantasies that filled our minds
You knew how I loved you but my spirit was free
Laughin' at the questions that you once asked of me
Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you
Where are you goin' to?
Do you know?
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