First thing this morning, a large flat bed trailer stopped in front of the house to unload a huge excavator. The equipment parked at a house two doors up the street -- a house that has been vacant for over a year. Last fall the owner had taken off the siding and then left the foam insulation to be stripped off by the wind storms and blown around the neighbourhood. Large sheets and small bits of Styrofoam are still strewn among the trees and bushes up hill from me. I left for work not knowing when or exactly what would transpire there. Leaving campus tonight, it dawned on me that was the last time I'd walk through the parking lot and take the stairs by the library to the lower campus. The parking lot will become the marshaling area for the removal of a large classroom building. This will make room for a new centre for government, teaching and learning named for a former prime minister. The parking area will become part of the building footprint and walkways. When I arrived home, the house up the hill was no longer there and the heavy equipment was scooping debris out of the basement. The foundation remains in place, but we'll see what occurs over the weekend.
These two events made me think of the same process I use when analyzing data for research -- deconstruction and reconstruction. When something is taken apart, something else is being constructed. Whether this is a new viewpoint for understanding words and pictures or for a new use for a physical space, something new exists. When deconstructing, there is a goal or a hope for something different to develop. As the lyric from "No Matter What" (from Whistle Down the Wind) stated, "No matter where it's barren, a dream is being born." In each of these spaces something new will replace the existing structures. The one on campus will take almost 3 years to complete and the full design will be unveiled in the Fall. As for the little house uphill, something is bound to replace it -- likely another abode of one sort or another.
Newness is often seen as an improvement -- something better than what had been there before. Life does change, so new walking routes will develop to get around campus and new land use will appear in the neighbourhood. A new song by a Canadian singer-songwriter deals with dreams and changes. This album will be released in the Fall, after many years since the last one. Listen to the lyrics -- the tempo and upbeat sound of the music can be a bit deceiving in places <smile>. Enjoy!
Life's about to Get Good -- Shania Twain
No comments:
Post a Comment