The photo above shows the place on the street where I used to live. It's in south London - Penge, SE20 - an area famous for wonderful street art. I still live in SE20, but not in the house I grew up in. The photo at the bottom shows what my childhood home looked like. That was knocked down in the 1970s and a factory built where it used to be. Now that factory is being demolished and the latest open-air gallery covers hoardings around the demolition site. I'm not sure what will be built there next.
I went for a walk around the outside of the site yesterday to admire the paintings, and to explore my feelings about how my home patch has changed. I was reminded of a blog post I wrote back in 2016, after reading a book called Finding Your Way Home. Author Michael Neill made the point that our memories can always take us back to places we felt secure, such as the homes of our childhood, and that home can be where the heart is.
Of course I realise not all children, or people, live in places of safety. I also realise many in this world are experiencing losses far greater than I have. I know I'm lucky in both those respects. I'm writing this post about my own reflections, although I hope most of us can recall somewhere we were happy, and that those memories can help give us strength to search for comfort in the future even if we don't have it at the moment.
Since 2016 I think I've come to realise change is inevitable. I will never get my old home back, even though there were times I wished I could. I've grown to be proud of what Penge is like now, and I love the new street art even though that in itself is ephemeral. The hoardings will go when the new construction is finished. I've taken photographs, including the one above, and my memories will remain.
This is a moment in the passage of time. I'm trying to appreciate each day for whatever small good things happen, rather than mourn too much the loss of the past. That lives still in my memories, and is preserved in pictures. The future is yet to be revealed.
Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/06/green-london-betts-park-tales-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/07/rounding-year-hollyhocks-with-minds-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/07/green-london-community-garden-in-south.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/07/street-art-empowering-women-on-south.html
1 comment:
This is lovely ♥️
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