I took a walk a few days ago in Country Club Estates just outside Rock Hill, S.C.
This is the place were I purchased my first home from the recently deceased Dorothy Shaw in 1986. I instantly liked her when I discovered the house (on my own, without a real estate agent). After scouring Rock Hill all day with realtors, I took a drive late that afternoon through Country Club Estates.
A "For Sale" sign in the yard caught my attention. Tall majestic trees and lots of shrubs also caught my eye. I pulled into the circular driveway and lingered for about a minute. I loved the location--framed by a forest. A short, insistent woman suddenly appeared on the front porch.
"Come on in and have a look!" Dorothy Shaw beckoned.
When I flinched, telling her I might not be able to afford her home, she smiled and assured me she would work with me on a reasonable price.
The final price: $65,000.
The address: 381 Stephanie Lane, Rock Hill, SC 29730
I only lived there for about four years. But in some ways I remember it like yesterday.
The folks who lived behind us were Eddie and Mary Ann Aberman. Good neighbors they were.
Just up the street from us were Mr. Whisonant and his wife Ruby. I used to love riding around with Mr. Whisonant in his pickup truck and listening to his reminiscing about the area.
Claire Sturkey, who had worked at a place called the Human Development Center at Winthrop University (no, they didn't assemble human bodies there!), also lived just a few houses away. Liked having coffee with her and swapping lies about Winthrop.
Virginia Whitesides, who resided with her husband Roger in a huge, stateley white two-story home about two blocks away, was good as gold to me. Southern and kind to the core, she gave me refuge in some really hard times.
Other friends were John and Maureen Berg and their two children, Sandy and Johnny.
We attended Mount Holly United Methodist Church just a few miles away. Chris Poole and his wife Barbara were close friends.
And our children all went to Oakdale Elementary School (pictured with this blog post). That little school must have done a good job, because all three are college graduates.
Also pictured: The house at 381 Stephanie Lane (looks about like it did in 1986!); the mailbox that I put up when we moved in (still standing today after all these years); and Oakdale Elementary School.
It was a good, safe, friendly neighborhood with good people.
I'll never forget it.
2 comments:
Good, safe neighborhoods seem to be something of a rarity these days. Feeling free to ride your bike, walk through the neighborhood, say hi to friends, and even rap on a door to get help when your car is broken down are activities most people now hesitate to do. Sad. However, to keep these freedoms alive, we must not let our doubts and fears block goodwill. Evil has always been around, but doing good is the best weapon we have against it. I'm going for a walk now!
Appreciate your reading and commenting on my blog, Beverly. On target comments about the rarity of good neighborhoods these days. Thanks again for reading!
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