The beauty of a dandelion in bloom, on a manicured lawn

Last year, we relocated from California to Oregon. We moved into a prestige neighborhood, that one on the hill. One of those “private” communities, where everyone has manicured lawns and walks freshly groomed poodles. There is a community pool and club house…it even has one of “those” names…”Valley West Estates” …we thought it was a step up, for us and the kids. However, it isn’t us. We aren’t materialistic. We are about spending time together…having a BBQ, a water balloon fight, laughing. We are a family that dresses casual, and can don that pair of cut offs. My husband and son, dress in their laid back Cali style. The girls express themselves with colors and crazy hair. I am a self-employed professional.

We are as individual as they come

Recently, we have realized that we aren’t “Estate” people…we are care free, honest, friendly people. We are a family who wants to stay connected to our world, our society. So we have been looking for a new house for the last few months. A couple weeks ago we found out the board members of the estates, aren’t pleased with our care-free, individuality…or that of the family of our kids closest friends. In their board meeting we were told they were wishing our two families weren’t here, tainting their precious estates. Mind you, we stay to ourselves. We maintain our yard. We aren’t trouble makers, nor are we blaring music and being a nuisance. But it seems these “estate” people have a problem with the boys’ calf length shorts, the girls’ crazy styles, and even the wallet chain my husband wears conservatively. Hmmm, go figure.

A few days ago, we were sitting at our back yard table, and noticed that one of the boards of our fence was broke. Like someone had literally put their foot on the board and pulled it to where it broke half way up. Upon further inspection…the missing piece of the board, was laying on the other side of the fence. We were puzzled…on how the hell that could happen..but didn’t give it much thought and just repaired it…

Well, today we met with a lesbian couple who is moving back to Florida for the sake of one of their careers. After spending an hour meeting with these wonderful women…THEY decided they wanted us as tenants…as much as we loved their attitudes and home! Immediately, they let us know that we could move in! They explained that across the street was an elderly couple that we wouldn’t see much, except when they were enjoying a sit on their front porch. To the left there was a Jamaican family, and the dad was a professional boxer who gave lessons to the neighborhood kids in an effort to keep them interested in positive influences. Directly behind us lives a male gay couple, that are pretty much to themselves, but after meeting us…they were sure they would adore us. It was a house with a good feeling, not in an “estate” but in a neighborly-hood.

A place where culture and diversity exists

My husband and I were in agreement, this was a community to call home.

I came home and gave my 30 day notice to our current landlord…I informed him that I would be willing to show the house for him near the middle of the month in an effort to be a good tenant “til the end….

No sooner than I pushed send, did I open a letter from the VALLEY WEST ESTATES MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE. It was a notice to cure our broken fence, to clean up the yard debris, not leave our trash cans in the drive way and maintain our yard. Our front lawn is always well groomed, except for those stray dandelion stems that grow high every 2-3 days. We didn”t have any “debris” that I knew of…and okay, I can admit we didn’t put our garbage cans behind our gate…and as for the fence…it finally made sense. I walked around the back side of our fence and found that the maintenance personnel had cut a bush (one the “community” IS responsible for, not us) and made a pile of the branches and pulled weeds against our fence! Then put it on us. I called the leader of this good citizen committee and gave him an EAR-FULL by the time I was done he assured me that he would address this with the personnel and would not become a problem in the future, and invited me to the next meeting. I ended the call declining, and informed him that we are only here for the next 30 days, and that even if this weren’t the case…I would have declined.

I then called my current landlord and apprised him of the “situation”, he thanked me for my candor.

This situation reminded me that things don’t JUST happen. That today started and ended the way they should. It reminded me that those of us who are not conformist, are above those who prefer to live on the hill, in their “estates”. It reminded me that I the community I am a part of is diverse, honest and beautiful…and would never intentionally…SET-UP a guise to make others conform or leave….the community I belong in…accept everyone for who they are, is rich with culture and diversity, and sees the beauty of a dandelion in bloom on a manicured lawn…it has no need to break fences, because there are no fences….