Life in the Burbs

Why are some people so obsessive about their lawns? I don’t get it. I mean, I like our lawn to look nice; it gets mowed and occasionally weed wacked. But it often looks shaggy with its share of dandelions and weeds. In my humble opinion, lawns are not meant to look manicured! If I wanted manicured, I would live on a golf course.

The guy who lives behind us works on his lawn all of the time. I left the house the other day at 7:00 (still pretty dark out) and he was out there raking the handful of leaves that had fallen overnight. Every time I manage to mow my lawn or simply tidy up the front yard, my next door neighbor comes out and does his. Just once I would like to not have the saddest looking yard on the street.

It feels like every time I decide to hang outside on the patio, get comfy in a lounge chair and sip on some Kombucha one of my neighbors fires up their lawn mower, leaf blower or weed wacker. It is noisy in the burbs.

Is this just life in the burbs?

I was born on Long Island and lived there until I was nine years old. Long Island is definitely the burbs. To me, it feels like every other street is a major highway and there are way too many people everywhere you go. We then moved to Upstate, NY which was country living at its best. We had a few acres of land, lots of gardens and six apple trees. The house was in the valley and surrounded by hills. I don’t think I paid much attention to the beauty of the place when I was a kid but I sure love to to drive around there now. The cottage is just a few miles from that house and everyone knows that is my happy place!

I went to college and lived on campus and then in the suburbs of Binghamton. Binghamton is considered a city but it feels more like the burbs. I lived in a big old house with several of my friends and we hard a yard and neighbors. We could walk or take the bus to pretty much wherever we needed to go.

After college I moved to the Boston area and lived in Allston, MA for a year, in a three story apartment building. That is probably the most city living I have done. I used to give directions to my apartment by the names of the Irish Pubs in our neighborhood. Take a left at the Ale House, a left at Kinvara. City living was fun for a year, especially as I was living with my Binghamton friends. After a year, we went our separate ways and I spent the next 20 odd years in a bunch of different Massachusetts towns primarily in suburban type settings.

Since I moved back to New York and in with my honey, I am back in the burbs. We live in a small 2 bedroom house with a nice yard on a side street. We have neighbors on all sides of us and our kitchen window faces directly into our neighbors kitchen. If I sit on the front steps I watch the kids on their bikes or playing ball. I watch people walking to the local University campus or walking their dogs. The other day I saw a lady walking her cat. I hear the marching band in the evening and traffic driving by from the main road. When I sit in the back yard, I see the neighbor kids playing lacrosse or hitting a tennis ball against the garage. I see the little kids playing soccer or climbing the tree.

The problem with the burbs is it is rarely quiet and peaceful. I have my share of sensory issues and I crave stillness and quiet. I long to wake up to a beautiful and silent view. Luckily the surrounding area is nice and has a country feel. To get from one town to the next, we don’t have to drive on highways, just small country roads. I used to laugh that driving to work in the morning I would see more cows than cars. That is life in the country!

Don’t get me wrong, the burbs aren’t all bad. My neighbors are very nice and have great kids. I enjoy our chats and watching them grow. I love living with my honey and sharing meals, entertainment and spending time with the people we care about. The area itself is nice and has a country feel. My sister lives about 1 mile from us and her house feels much more country to me. I day dream of putting a tiny house in her yard – she might not even know I was there. My brother lives a a nearby but smaller town that feels more city to me. My family is pretty darn special and I love that some of them are nearby.

I am not sure where all of this inner angst is coming from. Maybe how we view our current circumstances is simply a reflection of our inner selves. Hmmm… getting too deep here? What I mean is maybe I am just feeling off, discontented on the inside and it is being reflected everywhere I look. The cottage is all closed up until spring and I am missing my happy place. When things settle down on the inside, perhaps I will look around me and feel at peace. Then the burbs will just be – well the burbs.

I think it is time for some extra Quiet Time! I am spending too much time in my head which can be a scary place.

Lake Girl