Death and Change
Posted By Ardellis on April 14, 2007
Kurt Vonnegut was 84 years old. I read Slaughterhouse Five and Cat’s Cradle in junior high school and was completely blown away. A grand master if there ever was one. And one with a sense of humor, too. How many other SF authors have made cameo appearances in comedy films?
A little closer to home — right next door, in fact — our neighborhood lost a family member this week, too. Frannie Goodhue was a driving force in the local Girl Scouts council for who knows how many years. But more important to me was the fact that she was a kind-hearted, kid-loving neighbor who had watched me grow up. My brother and I ran wild through her yard when we were little. Her son parked his classic car in our garage for years. She came to my wedding. Later today, I’m going to her memorial service.
Our neighborhood isn’t as close-knit as it was when I was a kid, but the folks who have been around for a few years still look out for each other. Put out each others’ trash cans. Shovel each others’ walks. Call to check in on the elderly when there’s a storm coming. Yeah, there’s also an undercurrent of busy-bodiness that you can’t really avoid, but the gossip is usually sympathetic at least. I missed that when I was living in Boston.
The Ruanes. The Hayses. The Engs. The Goodhues. That neighborhood lingers, but it’s fading. The older generation is dying off. Houses are being sold. The list of long-term residents gets shorter and shorter. The community is splintering. Sure, some of the new folks are making connections, but most aren’t. Modern life is too busy, I guess. It’s a sad thing, when you don’t know who your neighbors are.
Comments
Leave a Reply