i want to be there in my city

from the time i was born until the day i left for college station, i lived in the same split-level house in a nice middle-to-upperclass neighborhood in northeast dallas. it was a nice place to grow up, but my parents were always discussing their dreams of moving north to someplace quieter, less congested. afterall, we did live within yards of a busy ten-lane freeway, the sound of cars, eighteen-wheelers, and trains rocking the house my nightly lullabies.

we also had our share of crime. i still remember looking out the window and seeing an escaping trouble-maker dart through a police helicopter spotlight. and then there was the night i heard police choppers overhead once again, the next morning to find out a jealous boyfriend had hidden in his ex's house with an axe and was fatally shot by the police in the alley - the very same alley that my family shared. one of the last straws was hearing gunshots in the wee hours of one dark, rainy morning and seeing the shadow of a wounded man limp around the side of our house, clutching his side.

needless to say, when my sister and i were out of the house and in college, my parents decided to bid farewell to the city and make the move up to suburbia. they built their dream home in plano, tx on a terraced hill that overlooks a park about as far east of town as you can get without falling off the map of civilization. a city girl to my core, coming home from school was a bit of an adjustment. instead of a stream of cars, i saw vegetation when i walked out the front door. instead of exhaust, i smelled clean fresh air. i actually heard birds singing instead of the familiar squealing of city bus brakes as it slowed to a stop right outside our old kitchen window. ironically, however, it wasn't until i was living in plano one summer that someone broke into my car and stole all my contemporary christian cds.

while i missed the city, i found visits home to be quite enjoyable and quickly grew somewhat accustomed to this simpler scene. i even got a job and apartment for a few years up there. however, the city girl in me missed the busy scene and lights so much that recently i moved back to dallas, not too far from downtown. i love it; it's where i'm supposed to be. while visiting my parents this weekend i was reminded of just how different their world is. prompted by real events, some that occured as recently as this past weekend, i was so moved to compile a little list. ahem...

You know you're in the middle of nowhere when.....

...you nearly have a major auto accident from slamming on your breaks because a pack of wild coyotes run across the street in front of your car.

...you call to order a pizza and they pass you around to different establishments because they don't deliver that far out. when you finally find someone that will deliver to you they argue with you that your nearest major intersection does not exist.

...you walk out your front door, a brown recluse spider is dangling in front of your face.

...you have to watch your pet rabbits for fear the large hawks circling the area will swoop down and carry them away for dinner.

...your neighbor legally raises camels.

...the brightest light at night is the moon.

...the new taco cabana a few miles away is a hot topic of conversation.

...you get out of the shower and hear what you think are whistles or whooping, after some sick peeping tom sees you through your open window, so you hit the floor only to realize the sound is coming from coyotes howling outside your window.

...broken windows at the local elementary school cause a small frenzy among local residents. after reviewing surveillance cameras, authorities learn that the damage was not caused by vandalizing hoodlums but a goat that wandered onto school grounds, saw its reflection, and tried to fight itself.

there actually may be more city in my parents than they thought. after all the work they put into their new country home, their newest idea they are bouncing around is to sell it and move to a highrise loft downtown. yeah right. parents can be so funny.