Once upon a time....

There was a pretty little hill on the edge of town. A sweet little country oasis in the middle of a metro city. You could cross a highway and feel you were lost in a sea of rolling green hills dotted with trees, brush and farming implements long forgotten. It was criss crossed with fences, with horses and cows rambling in the Texas sun. At the bottom of this particular hill, was a weathered old barn. Once a dairy farm, it now housed horses, their owners and a few cats. The people that were there all had the same love of their animals in common, and with that grew friend ships that will last forever. Children grew there, along with horses. There was food eaten, beers enjoyed, and tears, but laughter drowned out all. There were new friends brought in, and many a tearful goodbye was whispered to old ones. People dated there, fell in love there, and married there. Babies had their first rides there.

To me, this place is were my family and I brought my first horse. She was my childhood dream come true and with her and this place, I felt free. I have always been a self conscious person, but in those moments of time, I could do anything. All was possible, and while with my horse and hours spent ambling across fields, I dreamt about so many things. If it was sad or happy, I thought about about it all...planned out my life completely.

Then later, I brought the boy I would later marry there. We didn't have a lot of money being at the end of high school, so many a night was spent there with the car radio, me, him and his best friend talking about so much.

After a short time, that little hill on the edge of town held a much greater meaning to me. On a cool evening in September, that place is were I married my best friend. We were not the only wedding that land had seen. Years ago two wonderful people I have had the very great privilege of knowing were married there and stayed that way until Mr. Wayne Harris passed. I feel just having my wedding there holds great karma for us. The funny thing was, I didn't even want a wedding...I just wanted to be married, so I thank my husband greatly for putting his foot down. Because I have wonderful memories to add to my already full collection I have of that place.

I was able to bring my first born there...to have her first ride, first cook outs. To run wild as she wished chasing the cats that called the barn home. It was a dream place and wish it was still here.

The barn was sold years ago and now on the land are fresh and sparkling new homes. It looks pretty, and very suburban...every American's dream. But to us, it's heart breaking to see all that and know what it used to be. Now the hill that was a place for dreaming while riding with friends, and the place a new family was formed is being prepared for new apartment buildings.

Progress is necessary I'm sure some people will say. But to others, it takes the places we call home...the little oasis in the middle of busy, crowed cities that we go to dream and feel safe. At least for a moment in life, we were able to have a place to build memories, friendships and families we will have forever.

L