You Really Don't

There is a lot of wisdom to be found in the words of some of the best songwriters (and poets) out there, and Joni Mitchell had it right when she said "don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got til it's gone..."

And while I DID know what I had in a lot of ways, it wasn't until it was gone that I realized things I didn't know I had.

See the building behind me, that I look out to out of my windows, had to remove all of their landscaping due to some roots issue (encroaching on something they didn't want it to encroach on) and so right now now only do I have construction noise (and dust) going on, but I have lost all the plants I have always always looked out on.

The most obvious change is the view.  No more looking at greenery, just looking at the building.  And, unfortunately, at three other buildings that were blocked by a big bush thing on one of the corners. 

(They say they will replant but I've been here, what, fifteen years?  Those were well established plants they ripped out... I highly doubt new ones will be that size/shape/fullness, but we'll see I guess.)

What I didn't realize was what else those plants were keeping from me.  

Noise has gone up. Things echo more.  The plants and trees and bushes were absorbing noise without me knowing.

Smells.  There are scents and smells that perhaps are partly due to the machinery and work but also when they shut down for the day there are smells I've never had before.  They were also blocked I guess.

I lost a LOT of privacy, which I knew I would but of course I have never seen two of the three newly revealed buildings and my bedroom especially now is in clear view of them all, whereas before I could lie on my bed and not really be seen by any windows.

Shade.  Shade, shade, shade, shade, shade.  So vital, especially at this time of year but I didn't realize that even though the sun has always gone above my corner bush, it was actually blocking a lot of rays.  This was one of the suckiest things I learned the day after they pulled that bush down.  Damn.

And my animals.

I know they're still around but little birds would land in those bushes.  There was my raccoon family that lived somewhere in there or nearby? (I did hear the baby a few nights after so they're alright, just not around.)  Squirrels... I've seen a couple but now the route they used to take is very exposed.  The crows are still around but I haven't seen small birds since this happened.  

The noise will end eventually.  Things will get replanted eventually.  I am crossing my fingers that what goes back in is a positive thing and puts as much back to "normal" for me as possible.

And, no, we weren't informed this was happening, so this was quite a sudden shock and one of those aforementioned "bad days" I've had of late.

So if you have trees and bushes and plants and shrubbery you look out that's on someone else's property, or even on your own, enjoy it, cuz you don't know what you've got til it's gone.  And it sucks to miss things you can't get back.