The Smell Of The Dirt...Somebody Must Be Building Something

There's buildin' going on in these here parts. It's exciting when people's plans are turned to actions, which, in turn, become realities. This afternoon I walked over to the building site. It's just a big pile of dirt and a big hole in the ground.

But, it's a beginning.

Ah...the smell of dirt. That smell brought back so many memories.

Growing up, of course, we played in the dirt. We made roads for our toy cars and trucks. We dug the dirt and moved it around with our Tonka dump trucks and excavators. As we grew, the vehicles became smaller and smaller until we were playing with Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars and trucks on smooth dirt roads.

One of my first jobs was being a planter at Miller Floral in my home town. The business was where the Jr. High School is now. Those who don't remember a time when the Jr. High didn't exist surely don't remember Miller Floral. I didn't work there long, but we dealt with dirt. I worked at another nursery after high school, Pineae Nursery. Once again, surrounded by dirt.

Before I got my last full-time job--about twenty-two years ago--I worked with my cousin's husband on his excavation crew. We worked on many projects, but I'll always remember the smell of the dirt as we put in roads and basements. If I were one who loved to work in the yard or the garden, I'd probably get hit with that smell a lot.

As I stated before, it's exciting. In a matter of months a structure will rise from the dirt. It will serve many purposes, a home, a space for storage, a dream fulfilled. And it all begins in the dirt.