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I have a similar feeling when I bring friends to places I spent lots of time, but which have now been completely transformed by redevelopment. I can walk throug

I have a similar feeling when I bring friends to places I spent lots of time, but which have now been completely transformed by redevelopment. I can walk through and visualize my old surroundings as if they were still there, but I just can't convey them to others who are visiting to the first time. The best I can do is show old google maps photos.

WarOnPrivacy 3y ago
> I have a similar feeling when I bring friends to places I spent lots of time, but which have now been completely transformed by redevelopment Our family's 1800s home was one of five, on 2 forking dirt roads that meandered thru the woods. From our front porch, we could see across the creek, out to where the prison grew alfalfa and corn. Our dirt road+creek met the paved road; that was the school bus stop. Across the pavement and past a 40ac cow field was a domed radar installation. It served a nearby Nike missile base. The prison guard towers, maximum security and it's railroad were a half mile to the side. The missile base left in 75. The train ended in 77 w/ stock sold by 80. My brother evicted us in 87 - and for good measure razed the house and every tree. I married and left the area in 90. The sprawling prison complex sold to developers in 2000s. I visited my birth home (site) in 2019. I needed a map to find it. The paved road I knew had been ripped up and replaced with a different road going different places. The cow field where I waited for my bus was a forest. In it's way, this was the most disorienting part of the visit. The dirt road forking off of ours led to a sportsball park. It continued on a bit and was bisected by an 8 lane cross-county highway. My dirt road was paved and ended at a cul-de-sac of townhouses where my neighbors had been. Our lot was occupied by the commercial nursery that my brother had built and later sold. Our ramshackle garage still stood for some reason. The fields across our creek were more townhomes. I have historical photos of our home and nearby. However, I regret that we never took pictures of the 2 miles around our home - the land we walked and drove 1000s of times. It certainly never occurred to any of us that the roads themselves would disappear.
mrweasel 3y ago
Earlier this week I went back to the small town where I went to school, something I've been meaning to do for the past two years. It's still a nice small touristy coastal town, absolutely relaxing, with wonderful fresh air and a really nice walk in the beautiful spring weather. But it's not exactly the same town. Stores have close, buildings repurposed, neighborhoods redeveloped and some things have just been torn down. I used to recognize a ton of people, but the population have changed over the past 25 years, now I don't know anyone. Going back was nice, especially the few things that had stayed the same, but expecting everything to just freeze and wait for you to return one day was perhaps a little naive.

WarOnPrivacy 3y ago

> I have a similar feeling when I bring friends to places I spent lots of time, but which have now been completely transformed by redevelopment Our family's 1800s home was one of five, on 2 forking dirt roads that meandered thru the woods. From our front porch, we could see across the creek, out to where the prison grew alfalfa and corn. Our dirt road+creek met the paved road; that was the school bus stop. Across the pavement and past a 40ac cow field was a domed radar installation. It served a nearby Nike missile base. The prison guard towers, maximum security and it's railroad were a half mile to the side. The missile base left in 75. The train ended in 77 w/ stock sold by 80. My brother evicted us in 87 - and for good measure razed the house and every tree. I married and left the area in 90. The sprawling prison complex sold to developers in 2000s. I visited my birth home (site) in 2019. I needed a map to find it. The paved road I knew had been ripped up and replaced with a different road going different places. The cow field where I waited for my bus was a forest. In it's way, this was the most disorienting part of the visit. The dirt road forking off of ours led to a sportsball park. It continued on a bit and was bisected by an 8 lane cross-county highway. My dirt road was paved and ended at a cul-de-sac of townhouses where my neighbors had been. Our lot was occupied by the commercial nursery that my brother had built and later sold. Our ramshackle garage still stood for some reason. The fields across our creek were more townhomes. I have historical photos of our home and nearby. However, I regret that we never took pictures of the 2 miles around our home - the land we walked and drove 1000s of times. It certainly never occurred to any of us that the roads themselves would disappear.

mrweasel 3y ago

Earlier this week I went back to the small town where I went to school, something I've been meaning to do for the past two years. It's still a nice small touristy coastal town, absolutely relaxing, with wonderful fresh air and a really nice walk in the beautiful spring weather. But it's not exactly the same town. Stores have close, buildings repurposed, neighborhoods redeveloped and some things have just been torn down. I used to recognize a ton of people, but the population have changed over the past 25 years, now I don't know anyone. Going back was nice, especially the few things that had stayed the same, but expecting everything to just freeze and wait for you to return one day was perhaps a little naive.