So, I found myself thinking about that place again, you know, the corner down by where the old Elms used to stand, near that patch of Laurel bushes. People just called it ‘the elms laurel’ spot. Haven’t been back in ages, maybe ten, fifteen years?
Woke up Saturday, weather was gray, felt kinda fitting. Just decided, right then, I’m gonna go check it out. Didn’t really plan much, just grabbed my jacket, keys, and headed out the door. Had this nagging feeling, like I needed to see if it was still there, or how much it had changed. You know how memories get fuzzy.
Getting there was different. Used to be a straight bus ride, but now routes are all messed up. Had to switch twice. Walked the last bit. The whole neighborhood felt different, quieter maybe, or just older. Saw fewer kids playing outside, that’s for sure.
Finding the Spot
Finally got to the corner. And yeah, it was… different. The big old elm trees, the ones that gave the spot its name? Gone. Just stumps, mostly covered by weeds now. Dutch elm disease, probably, happened everywhere ’round here. That hit me harder than I expected. Felt like seeing an old friend had lost a limb.
The laurel bushes, though? They were still there. Wilder, bigger, almost taking over the whole corner. Unkempt, you know? Nobody trimming them back anymore. It wasn’t sad, exactly, just… nature doing its thing, I guess.
I just stood there for a bit. Remembered sitting on the low brick wall that used to be there, the one that’s crumbled now. Had a tough conversation there once, years back. Made a big decision right on that spot. Felt huge at the time.
- The wall is mostly gone, just a few bricks scattered.
- No more elm trees casting shade.
- The laurel is dense, almost like a wall itself now.
- The air felt damp, smelled like wet earth and leaves.
What I Reckon Now
Funny thing is, standing there, seeing how much it changed, it didn’t make me as nostalgic or sad as I thought it would. It was just… different. Like looking at an old photo where you barely recognize yourself. The memory is still real, the feeling I had back then sitting on that wall, that’s still real in my head. But the place itself? It moved on. Just like I did after making that decision all those years ago.
It wasn’t about the trees or the bushes, really. It was about going back, looking square at a piece of the past. Seeing the stumps, the overgrown laurel, it just kind of confirmed that yeah, time passed. Things changed. And that’s okay. Didn’t find any big answers standing there, but walking back to the bus stop, I felt a bit lighter. Sometimes you just gotta go look, you know?
