In 1998, after having lived in Garden Valley for a long time and realizing that we wouldn’t always be able to navigate all of those steps, John and I decided to downsize. We built a house on a lot on Church Street that I inherited from my parents. Since that time, there have been many changes to Mocksville. The population has grown; there are new businesses, several new housing developments and restaurants; there are almost constant activities, etc. Many of our friends have moved on to other places; some have passed away. We have grown old, and nothing is like it used to be.
Here on Church Street, almost all of the neighbors are much younger than we are. There is not much interaction between all of us, and certainly no gardens where people gather outside and visit. They are all very nice, but most of them work and have children and are busy. I certainly remember that time in my life also!
The family homes all belong to other people now, and a couple of them have been beautifully restored by the families that bought them. One cousin, Alice Hanes, lives on the street also, but she is the only other family member here.
I recall talking one Sunday afternoon after church to the late Hugh Larew about moving back to Church Street, and he asked me why I wanted to do that and cautioned me about it. Of course, I paid no attention, but he was right. Thomas Wolfe was also correct when he titled his most famous book You Can’t Go Home Again. Sometimes, though, like John-Boy Walton, I seem to hear the voices of those whom I once loved and will see again one day. They seem to beckon me to stroll along the street again, visiting those who are long gone. The lesson here is that everything changes, so we must try to change with the times and places we are in or live with our memories.