Life in the Cul-de-sac

As I watched another pickup truck and trailer make a pit stop in front of my house, it caused me to reflect on our life here in the cul-de-sac. Unlike other dead-end streets (the literal French translation), our CDS is L-shaped and is always teeming with activity. It seems like every large vehicle in the neighborhood uses our street to make a U-turn.   

My youngest son and his friends used to play hockey in the CDS. It was a perfect street rink. The nets were positioned at either end of the CDS, so they would keep clear of oncoming traffic. Unlike that scene in Wayne’s World, when they had to move the net with every passing car. That can really break up the flow of a game.  

Back then, the cement in the CDS was pretty crappy. We were apparently at the bottom of the city’s to-do list when it came to repaving the streets. However, I believe that our pockmarked street is what turned my son and his friends into such strong skaters.  One of them went on to play college hockey at Lake Superior State.  

This was back when our Detroit Red Wings were Stanley Cup contenders every year. When every kid in the CDS dreamed of being Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, or The Magic Man himself, Pavel Datsyuk. Ah, those were the days.  

Last year, the CDS hosted a concert, given by my neighbor Joe. He’s a professional musician and was going stir crazy during the Covid Lockdown. He got permission from the city, picked up some traffic cones, and voilà, instant concert venue. There was a pretty good crowd by the end of the show, and a good time was had by all.  

With home prices surging recently, my wife and I were toying with the idea of selling our house and downsizing to a condo. Now it seems like we’re staying put, and I’m okay with that. We have so many great memories here on the CDS, it would be sad to leave our neighborhood and start over someplace else. Besides, we might miss the next concert!   

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