SUNDAY IN SUBURBIA

Where once used to be a view of the hills, a new townhouse unit is now being built. It is directly next to another unit which was completed late last year and across from a lot which is in the beginning phases of construction of yet one more unit. From the time I moved to this townhouse community last April, there has been nonstop construction work.

Today was quiet. No music was playing and no workers were working as they took today off from building. Tomorrow in the early morning the happy music will return as will all sorts of construction vehicles making their rounds in the driveways. For this reason, I have been hesitant to let my children play in front of this place as I do not feel it is a safe environment for them.

At the new place, I noticed one child playing outdoors as her mother worked in the front yard. There were other people outside as well doing the typical things people do on a Sunday afternoon such as mowing the lawn, planting flowers, and raking leaves. It was a normal Sunday in suburbia.

Soon my children and I will be a part of this community once again though they already have this experience at their father's house. I imagine them riding their bikes in the street or running in the backyard. I am certain they will spend many hours on the porch swing as well as playing indoors.

The thought crossed my mind today how my children are living in three homes now - mine, their father's, and their father's girlfriend's house outside of Austin. I wonder what must be going through their minds and what they think of this lack of stability. Then again, what might seem abnormal to us is perfectly normal to them as they have learned to adapt and accept this change as a way of life.

Progress was present today as I took two more trips to the new place with more books and kitchen items. What makes this move easier than last year's move is the fact that most of the boxes I never unpacked and simply left in the garage. This is not to say there is nothing left to pack, only that the easy part is almost behind me. Cleaning, sorting, and organising are still on the horizon and must be done before the fun part of decorating takes place.

There are four weeks left before I turn in my keys to the old place. At that point, there will be no more waking up to the happy construction music, no more listening to the sounds of construction vehicles passing by, and no more views of nature obstructed by the works of mankind. Instead, Sundays will be filled with the sounds of lawnmowers and leaf blowers along with the laughter of children playing in suburbia.