Thursday, June 12, 2008

It's Summer

Summer in Tucson. It's going to be 105 this weekend. Dry, Hot, Windy, Hot, Dry, did I mention Hot? I may have mentioned in previous posts, we are from Philadelphia. Where it can be hot and nasty humid, but where it's so different than here.

Four years ago, when we first moved here (in JULY), our first house was in a really beautiful development. Lots of houses. Lots of kids. Right? I sent my kids out on their bikes - to the school playgound nearby. They were 9 and 11 at the time. They came back kind of soon. NO kids anywhere. And absurdly hot. Back home, no matter how hot and icky, you could ride your bikes around the neighborhood and meet up with tons of kids. There were kids everywhere. Not here, not outside. Know why? It's too HOT. Isn't that insane? So we were here for a month or so, that first summer, and my kids never saw another kid. Back in Philly, you could ride your bikes all over the place. Then stop at Joe's market (neighborhood market) for ice cream, or penny candy. Yep, even today. Then ride your bike to the township pool, which everybody joined for the summer. Not here, most people have their own pools. If you want to take swimming lessons, you can sign up at the township pool, but nobody goes there just to hang out.

It's weird to me. Strange. Even after four years here. I don't even know most of my neighbors. I think we all feel sort of ... isolated? Lonely. And Hot.


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry you are feeling isolated, lonely AND hot...what a combo! We are too, sort of...although there's so many children here, it's hard to feel lonely really. I do long for adult companionship sometimes...sending you HUGS!!

LittleElf said...

Wow, that sounds so miserable to me, I can't take the heat very well. Why did you move to Arizona? Just wondering. ^_^ Hugs to you.
Elfie

Anja said...

I hear you, same thing here. Everyone stays to themselves and after living here for 6 months, I have only met 2 of our neighbors! And we live pretty close together, with houses across and next to us. Weird.
I think most people are a lot more lonely these days!

Perri said...

I know what you mean. When we left our old home outside of a city, we knew no one although we'd lived there 3 years.

But now that we're living in a small town (population about 1200) all that's changed for us. Everybody really does know everybody! Also, it helped us to get to know people by participating in kid things-- local preschool, weekly soccer, YMCA swim lessons. I think folks in small towns and rural areas are a little more open and welcoming in general... at least that was our experience.

I'm sorry you're feeling that way though. Back in the 'burbs, I found I met people by joining a writer's group. But the same could be done with a spinner's or knitter's or crafter's group.

Perri

Waterrose said...

Yep...I've lived here for 12 years and spent 7 in Tempe with neighbors all around...but never got to know any of them...

Remember, it's dry heat!