It’s a long story!
How we went for wanting to live in Detroit to buying a house in
Dearborn.
I lived in Dearborn until I was 15 years old. Many circumstances… I moved to Lincoln Park and anyone can tell
you, I hated it from the minute I got there.
The house, the ‘hood, it all.
Now, let me also say, I did end up with some good friends, but that is
pure grace because I was not the easiest person to get along with back then…
Think of me now, multiply my attitude (developed for protection) by 100 and
maybe, just maybe you’d be close to how I was.
When I bought my house, I chose Lincoln Park because at the
time it was close to Phyllis’s school and my dad. Our home has provided us shelter (for us and
many others) and a place that holds lots of memories, a lot of laughter, oceans
full of tears, and a place that grew love like a beautiful garden!
I never liked Lincoln Park (big emphasis on NEVER!! Like NEVER
EVER). My first week of school someone
mortified me by asking me if I wanted to go “coon” hunting and I gasped and
wondered if I had traveled to a place time forgot. What the what?!?
Fast forward many years, market crashes, and lots of
prayers. I really love Detroit, there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind about
that. I go to church there, serve there,
start community gardens there, dream (and with the help of others, launch
soccer fields). I really thought moving
to Detroit was the right move for us (me & Phyl). But nothing seemed to be working out, over
inflated housing prices, not so great neighborhoods, when we’d find a great
house, it would get snatched up from under us (we lost a bid literally 30
seconds before it closed), it was getting so discouraging… I kept praying and
hoping. My dear friend Dawn said “DREAM
BIGGER” and so I did… I dreamed of living somewhere I’ve always loved. Dearborn.
I have always prayed to go back “home”.
Always.
After looking at a couple houses in East English Village
(EEV), Phyl & I decided that we might open our search to Dearborn. And then the “Rathbone” house happened. It seemed to be going along kind of smoothly,
as smoothly as buying a house (especially in Detroit) goes… and then it
happened. It fell through, by no harm or
foul on anyone’s part, it just didn’t work out.
And so… I tried to put on a brave face, and not feel all
that I was feeling, give the “there’s something better” brave face and people
did a lot of that “everything happens for a reason” crap. Yeah, I know.
I know but I’m allowed to be disappointed. Not that many people know that part of the “Rathbone”
house. And then one day, I finally let
it all out, and cried… and cried, and in typical fashion, I put on my sass pants,
and moved on. We decided to open the
search to Dearborn. To be honest, it
wasn’t always that easy but at least the houses were in better condition and
the streets were quiet, but somehow full of life.
3 offers later, I don’t even know how many houses… here we
are. A new home in Dearborn. And I loved it from the curb, I had a good
feeling before I hit the door.
I can’t begin to explain to you that I had buried that dream
of living in Dearborn so far down that I didn’t even remember. Or that I didn’t think it was possible. I didn’t.
Really.
In all this, I have found that I really do have the best
friends (don’t worry I won’t ask any of you to help me move), I am lucky to
have the best people in my life to cheer me on, and listen to me cry, and tell
me to CTFD when I’m nuts, and we really did have the best realtor who has
always been like family to us. I’d
recommend him, hands down to anyone!
I know this is where I belong (at least for now only God
knows the rest).
So we are happy! I
can’t wait to move (and get rid of my current house)!
And my friend Sheila was right, I can’t imagine being
anywhere else.
God, He is a good God, and He loves me.
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