There are 40 houses on my block in the Canadian city where I live, bounded by Romeo Street on the west end and Burritt Street on the east.
When I moved here in 1986, I was number 40 on the list of homeowners on my street. Mr. Newbie. As fresh as they came. All 39 other homeowners had been in their houses before me, were here when I came.
That is 26 years ago and now, as far as I know, I am number 5 on the list. Thirty-four of the 39 homeowners that used to be ahead of me have moved on, one way or the other.
I am gunning for number 1 so I can legitimately be called the King of Albert Street, although I suspect that’s what everyone calls me now anyway (because of my vast wealth – and the moat I dug around our castle.)
Before I got here, I had moved 11 times in my life. When I first walked in the front door of the house I’ve called home for the past 26 years, I said to myself, “They can carry me out of here someday.” That prospect is looking more and more likely, not because I am deathly ill (I’m not) but due to my absence of itchy feet. I like it here.
Around the time I moved to Albert Street, I encountered the saying, “Bloom where you are planted.” If you drive by my place and see a guy in a straw hat, whistling, that’s just me, blooming the best way I know how.
If you’re lucky, I might even give you a royal wave.
©2012 Jim Hagarty
