I was looking for a cheap apartment or perhaps a room to let somewhere near the school that I was going to work two days a week. I retired from education back in 2007 officially, but still wanted to to keep the employment door open a tad and work a bit from time-to-time. I really wanted to get back into the classroom after a 7 year hiatus as a school administrator and visiting educator for the California Department of Education. Working with kids is where my heart was and still is; that's where I thrive and do my best work and I missed it terribly. I wanted some time back in with the kids so I could fill the hole that those years as an administrator dug into my gut and get some spiritual healing.
In all my 37 years in education, I NEVER lived near the school I worked. I always had at least a 45 minute commute (sometime longer) either from the mountains or from the river Delta to the suburban schools I worked at. I preferred living in more remote locations near and in nature as much as possible but the jobs were always in the cities and suburbs.
It was hard driving from my mountain retreat on roads with snow and ice early in the morning or driving during a white out from tulley fog near the Sacramento River where I lived for a time on a house boat. One cold January early morn, I flipped my jeep on icy roads trying to negotiate what were dangerous conditions to get to work on time. I was lucky. I only cut my forehead open requiring 8 stitches and totaled a car but it left a vivid recollection in my mind and body that translated into fear. I no longer wanted to drive the long commuting distances to work; it wasn't worth my life and it was no longer fun.
Since I retired, I didn't want to do anything that wasn't fun or worthwhile. That brings me back to why I was looking for a place in the suburbs near where I was going to teach a few enrichment classes to charter school middle and high school aged students. I kicked around many different living options. Since it was only going to be an infrequent living arrangement for me and my requirements for space and such were modest, the key was to find something relatively close to my work that was not too expensive where I felt safe. I started looking at MH parks but found most of them kind of country club-ish with a price to match. That was more than what I wanted or needed. I finally found a fixer upper unit in a small MH park tucked away in the curve of a major freeway for people over 55. I thought OH DARN that wouldn't be for me until I remembered I was retired and had just turned 59. I forgot I was a senior. Maybe it was for me. Ah, let me think. Everybody over 55. No young families with lots of kids skirting out into traffic as I drove passed. No young high school and college kids working on cars and motorcycles in the driveways and roadways screaming wheels and wheelies. No middle aged couples and families always being so busy, so very busy. Yes, everybody over 55. Most would be retired. Wow, this could work and I do fit the age requirements.
The rent wasn't too bad but the unit, built in the 70's, needed quite a bit of work. I work cheap and most of the work that the unit needed was some elbow-grease, paint, new floor covering and a few minor repairs. I made the plunge and bought the unit, spent a month cleaning, sprucing it up and furnishing it with garage sale and thrift store finds. In no time, I had a 1 bedroom, 2 bath abode with a second bedroom turned into a roomy office. It was perfect. It was close to the freeway, boy, was it close to the freeway, but only about 10 minute drive to work and I could take surface streets. There were many city conveniences everywhere which were welcome since I lived in a small mountain village with limited amenities. I was close to Kaiser hospital for regular check ups and frequent allergy medication refills. I was close to a Walmart Super Store for EVERYTHING cheap. I was close to repair people and mechanics who can work on cars and houses conveniently and competitively. Getting things done in the normal experience of life was a snap with all these easily accessible conveniences.
I positioned my rocker/recliner near the glass patio door and created my command post. I poured my afternoon cup of green tea and along with a few Oreo cookies, I started watching my MH estates neighbors and the community that I had just entered.
The stories began to unfold, some hilarious, some heartwarming and some heartbreaking.
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