Shanna The Place, the Region, and the Commons

Snyder says, "few people today can announce themselves as someone from somewhere" (Snyder 25). This is very true and extremely sad. Being a native of Yorktown may not be extraordinary, but it has been my home for twenty years. Many "lifers" as I call myself, are more than ready to escape this smallish town and see the wide world. I certainly desire to travel and explore, but I believe I will always return to the heart of the home, what Snyder calls the hearth. The forest surrounding my house may be an illusion of sorts, since it is only half a mile from a major highway, but it has captured my heart nonetheless. When Lewis spoke of the two loves in his essay "Likings and Loves for the Subhuman," he mentioned Need-pleasures and Pleasures of Appreciation. I dare to claim both to describe my feelings toward Country Lane, my home. Lewis says Need pleasures "are not hated once we have had them, but they certainly 'die on us' with extraordinary abruptness..." (Lewis, 13). I may not have a physical need for the flora and fauna around my home, but it sure feels good to return after being away. Once I am there and sipping tea in my own backyard, I am contented; after a while I begin to take home for granted again, not understanding how I'll miss it so much if I leave. Of Appreciation pleasures Lewis says they have "not merely gratified our senses in fact but claimed our appreciation by right" (Lewis, 13). People do not realize how large Yorktown is compared to how microscopic it use to be. From a rural, country town considered the "boonies" to one of the top ranking places to live in America, Yorktown has grown significantly. Throughout all of this growth and development, Country lane has been left virtually untouched. This is how it claims my appreciation by right. Being surrounded by bustling commerce and every assorted military base has not effected Country Lane at all. It remains private property, unpaved, and shrouded in watershed not fit for building. A snapshot of times gone by when kids could rollerskate on 17, and the only hangout was the 7/11. It is still the home of several endangered species of newt, toad, and the luckless treehugger worried sick about inevitable "progress."