Neighbors – 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History, Week 25

Stratford Avenue, looking south from my front yard

Stratford Avenue, in South Pasadena, California was quiet, traffic free and shaded by rows of Chinese Elm Trees. These several features made it the perfect playground for all the kids who lived there – not only could we play in our yards and swim in our pools, but we could also run around in the street without much fear of speeding cars or becoming red with sunburn. The lack of traffic was due to a cul-de-sac at one end of the street or "the doughnut" as we all called it. The center of the doughnut had bushes and a tree, if I remember correctly, and it was another great place to play. Due to the miracle of Facebook, I have connected with many of the old neighborhood kids, three of whom were in my graduating class at SPHS.

None of these childhood playmates were my immediate neighbors though. On either side of us, were two elderly couples: Jack and Evelyn to the north and Virgil and Dorothy to the south. I remember more about Virgil and Dorothy, probably because our driveways abutted so we saw them more often. Dorothy had a bad habit of burning the bacon (or was it toast) and setting off the smoke detector in the kitchen. Virgil used to walk his two dachshunds, George and Barney, at least once a day. His route took him down the street then around Alhambra Park. The older Virgil and the dogs got, the shorter the walks became.

My bedroom was close to Jack and Evelyn's house and as they got older their TV got louder. I did not always want to listen to what they were watching, which was unfortunate in the heat of summer as the only air conditioning in both our houses was fans and open windows. Jack and Evelyn usually made a daily trip of some sort and every morning Jack asked Evelyn where she wanted to go. I don't remember her answers and I think towards the end of her life she no longer understood the question. But sooner or later, I would hear the car doors slam and the engine start, so decisions must have been made. Funnily enough, after they moved to a retirement center, I really missed hearing their TV and Jack's daily question, "Where do you want to go today, Evelyn?"

I don't live in California any more but I do live on a cul-de-sac. To the east is a newly retired couple with a Great Dane and to the west is a not retired couple who used to have a terrier. Despite these similarities, I am no longer one of the neighborhood kids playing in the street; I am in the long stretch of time between childhood and retirement. It's not a bad place to be, but would be much improved if someone asked me, "Do you want to go to on a European cruise today?"