After living here for 19 months, there are just some aspects of life that still astound me. In no particular order.
- Yesterday a random stranger walked up to me in the parking lot of Books A Million. We exchanged Bible verses. Then, he announced that I looked like I could use a prayer or two and began praying over me. Turns out he was right. I did need a bit of extra attention, though he didn't know it. It was the anniversary of Bonus Mom's death.
- Bonus Dad and my brother were both astounded when they came to visit last month to discover we often keep the garage door open for hours at a time without any concern for our possessions being stolen or our safety. Yep. That happens.
- While my 10 year old nephew, Patrick, was visiting, he went to let Luna out into the back yard, only to be confused by our back door. I watched him for a moment until I realized he was attempting to unlock it before opening it. We had been home all day. There was no reason to keep our doors locked while we were home. If I had been living in Mesa, you bet they would have been locked!
- I am part of a program through the City of Texarkana which puts up community gardens throughout the city. All of these gardens are in some of the more socioeconomically compromised areas of Texarkana. The city also has garden tools out in the open for residents to use on the honor system. None of the tools have been stolen. Some of these tools have even been used and returned in better condition than they were borrowed.
- In front of our home (as well as many other folks' homes throughout the city in many different types of neighborhoods) we have whirligigs, thingamajigs and garden decorations. They don't walk off in the middle of the night.
- There is little, if any, litter and graffiti. It is a stark contrast to when I go back to Phoenix and see both everywhere.
- I'm not afraid to go walk through the Wal-Mart parking lot by myself at 10 p.m. In fact, one day I accidentally left my purse in the car and walked into Wal-Mart. When I went to check out, I realized my mistake. Leaving my basket at Customer Service, I went back to my (unlocked because they keys were in my purse) car to find my purse, intact, sitting on the passenger's seat. Is everyone this fortunate? I don't know. But I suspect the odds of finding one's valuables in their unlocked car is higher here than in the big city.
- In the time I've been here, I have seen one traffic accident. It was a minor fender bender.
- It is late July and everything outside is GREEN! Flowers are in bloom. My garden is growing. Though I miss the desert, I like seeing green instead of brown.
- Temperatures are in the 90s. It is humid, but not hot in the way we are used to summer being hot. As I explained to someone today, if I can walk barefoot outside, it isn't hot. I'm not a fan of humidity, but I will take it over the 110+ degree days Phoenix is having. I do not miss the desert summer heat.
- Since we landed here in December of 2021, I have yet to pay over $3/gallon for gasoline in Texarkana. That may be changing soon, but as of the time of me writing this, nope.
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