When I walk out my front door, this is what I see. Well, this is what I see if I look to my left. If I look to my right I see another house. And if I look straight ahead, I see the remnants of a block-long, four-story building that is in the process of being demolished.

It used to be a middle school, and there were kids and cars and parents and problems...but not too many problems. Both of my kids graduated right across the street. They never missed any school because, well, come on now. What excuse could they have ever come up with? "I overslept?" Literally it took them five seconds to walk to school.

Anyway, I missed it after all the kids left and expected it to become something else, but instead, it just sat over there and fell apart, and finally I wrote a letter to the editor of our local paper and that started a series of events that have culminated in the wrecking ball being just moments away.

Sentimental? Not exactly. ADIOS YOU AWFUL LOOKING BUILDING!

But then I just glance to my left and see the beautiful Court House right down the street and can almost forget the scene of destruction right in front of me and my agitation abates. If you look closely, there's even a blackbird sitting on the wire admiring the view.