Upon entering a little neighborhood off of 7th Street and Rosier
my group and I were drawn to the presence of an ice cream truck making its way
up and down the quiet streets. Wondering where it might be heading next and
whom it would attract, we decided to follow it. It turned onto a short street
that was covered with rundown homes and then it came to a stop waiting for
someone to come out. Pulling up behind the truck we glanced at the clock only
to realize it was time for our Freeze Frame moment. We left the ice cream truck
behind as we looked around to find we had been lead to a perfect spot for our
picture moment. I took a quick glance up and down the street before my eyes
fell on the image of a lime green, square, block-type home. I stared at this
house wondering whose it was and if there was a story behind it. The home was
small and it seemed that any more than two or three people would have a
difficult time squeezing in there. Although it was tiny, old and shabby with a
ragged look to it, I could see it possessed signs of care and love. Curtains
hung in the windows along with pot planted with flowers, adding to the home a
cozy look. The laundry hanging out back to dry also told me that this family
made an effort to take care of themselves. However, it made me wonder if the
residence did not have the convenience of a dryer, a luxury we seem to take for
granted. Or perhaps the family was trying to save money or conserve energy.
Maybe being a beautiful, clear, sun-shiny day they wanted to take advantage of
the suns natural use and benefit with air-dried clothes.
The appearance of the yard and the outside of the home made me even
more interested in the residence of this humble home. I wondered if they were
busy people with not a lot of extra time or perhaps an immaculate yard was just
not a top priority. Old, rusted chairs were randomly strewn throughout the
yard, along with broken bricks, worn out toys, an old camper trailer, and other
rusted “junk.” Beams and pillars hanging off the house showed signs of front and
back patios that had never been completed. On top of the partially completed
patios were various items such as a baby’s stroller and carrier, a blanket, and
a ladder. The majority of the lot was dirt but the front house held a small
patch of unkempt grass. Under the front patio, next to the front door was
placed a small, round, iron table with two rusted chairs, making for a sitting
area. Flowers in pots and bushes along the grass added to this décor as well as
a statue of the Virgin Mary standing in the grass. These things were not
meticulously placed, the patio appeared to be a little dirty and untidy, but
there was an apparent effort to make this a cozy sitting area: a kind of front
yard living room. This humble little house may be old and worn down to some, but
to someone else this is their home.
created by
LESLIE SHORT