Memories

Have you ever seen something that took you back in time to a place with some bittersweet sometimes crazy memories? What better place than my teenage years. This morning upon returning to our neighborhood from an early run, (another vivid reminder of why I live in Arizona where such late fall runs are pleasant and possible!) I tumbled upon a sight that made me stop and wonder. Not the usual javelina/bobcat/coyote encounter but something that took me back a few years to my parents house.

Two feet or maybe arms or something else, covered in a sheet were poking out over the edge of the shiny new pickup truck bed belonging to our neighbors teenage son. Ahhh the morning stretch after a long hard evening as a Tucson teenager! Wait...were there two persons snoozing in the back of that pickup truck in our neighbor's driveway?

As I passed silently enjoying the mountains and morning solitude, I wondered: Was this an innocent night spent sleeping under the stars or perhaps the result of something far more complex. Had young Mr. Neighbor been locked out of his house after trying to stay out past curfew? Well it was very considerate that mom had left some sheets and a blanket outside the front door. I can imagine there was a thermos of hot chocolate and maybe some cookies for a late night teenage post party snack. Or maybe those late night howling coyotes last night were not really coyotes! Ahhh the fond memories of my very own experience being locked out of my house after a night of innocent teenage fun...

Now the real questions. What if there were 2 people in the pickup bed. Could it be that this young gentleman was entertaining his girlfriend and had the courtesy of not disturbing his family and took the party outside? Or yet another possibility... has Oro Valley joined the ranks of other respectable cities and have we developed a homeless population? Has it moved to my neighborhood and should I initiate a drive to support those less fortunate? Maybe this was a far more explainable situation...had Mr. Neighbor indulged is just one too many buds while watching the game yesterday afternoon and had this led to consequent lack of even couch privileges? Or is this just young Mr. Neighbor wanting some along time without the fam?

Well I'll just have to leave this to my own imagination and the occasional snippet of neighborhood gossip to solve. For now life in this Oro Valley neighborhood goes on as usual.