For Sale

     The ‘FOR SALE’ sign went up on our across-the-street neighbor’s house the other day.  It wasn’t a surprise but, somehow, it feels very definite all of a sudden.  The owner says things like, “I’m prepared to wait…” and visitors say dire things about the economy and “being patient.”  But the fact is that two houses have sold in Oysterville this very summer, so why not a third?
     Or, even a fourth?  The house directly north of us is also sporting a ‘For Sale’ sign.  We remind ourselves that change is inevitable and that it is stressful.  But those thoughts aren’t particularly helpful.  It’s still hard.  And it’s far more than missing the friends and neighbors who move on.  It’s also the scary realization that with every change of ownership, Oysterville becomes a little more removed from its roots; a little less grounded in the past.
     There are those who will spout all of those clichés about having to “change with the times” and “embrace the future” and yada yada yada.  But, in reality, the whole point of Oysterville is the past.  The National Historic District of Oysterville was created to preserve what we have here and, of course, to do that we must understand what we have and why.  That is the nub.  That is what so many visitors and newcomers don’t get.
    It’s that old conundrum.  People move to a place because they love it and the first thing they do is try to change it.  It’s a given.  Anticipating that phenomena anywhere is difficult.  In Oysterville, it can be heart-wrenching.  
       We count ourselves lucky that  our most recent “new neighbors” understand the dynamics of change in our historic village.  And we’re keeping our fingers crossed for the future…