Jackson Free Press

My house on Chickasaw Avenue has been a work in progress since I bought it in 2008. In my mom's opinion, it had three strikes against it: It was an older home; it needed work; and it was in Jackson.

She was appalled. As a lifetime Rankin County resident, she envisioned her daughter ensconced in a newer home in Brandon, a short driving distance from her own house.

I have nothing against Rankin County or Brandon, but I had my reasons for buying what I bought and where I bought. I wanted a short commute to work. When you work 12-hour shifts, commute time is a factor. My house is five minutes from my job. There's a gas station right on the way home, too, for the rare occasions I need to put gas in my tank. If the car breaks down on the side of the road, I'm still walking distance from work or home.

Commute notwithstanding, I had other reasons for choosing to live within the Jackson city limits. Before I moved to Jackson, I lived close to downtown Gulfport for four years. I liked being near downtown, and living in the Fondren area gives me that option. I can be at any restaurant in the metro area in 10 to 15 minutes. If I want to go out on the town and partake of alcoholic beverages, I can afford the cab ride home. And I am a sucker for an old house with unique character, situated in an old neighborhood dotted with established trees.

In the past, I've invested in older properties to fix up and re-sell. I don't see old houses as money pits. I see what they were and what they can be again, if only they get the time and attention they need to be restored to their former glory. I saw my own home in that light. I saw the photo of it before the Realtor showed it and experienced the dry charge of someone who has found exactly what she's been looking for.

The house was one of my real-estate agent's listings, and the day he let me in through the kitchen door to see it, I knew it belonged to me. Its plaster walls and wood floors seemed to reach out invisible arms and pull me in. "This is your home," the house seemed to whisper.

I stood in the dining room, looking out into the living room and adjoining sun room with its multitude of windows letting the sunlight pour in. I thought only a moment. Then I turned to my Realtor and said, "I want to make an offer."

Just like that, my decision was made, and I have never regretted it. A little over a month after I said those words, I became a Hinds County resident. I signed on the dotted lines. Yes, I agree to pay my house note every month. Yes, I agree to pay Hinds County taxes. Yes, I agree to live with neighborhood power outages when a limb from an old tree knocks down a power line. Yes, I agree to contend with the hiccups in the Jackson infrastructure, including the boil-water notices. Yes, I agree to smile and wave at my neighbors as we pass each other on the streets while we're running or walking. Yes, I agree to bear witness to Jackson's renaissance and help speed it along in whatever way I can. Yes, I agree to engage in this community, embrace its diversity and believe in
its ability to thrive.

Yes, I agree to vote in every local, state, and national election because this is my home, and I care about it. Yes.

I would like to say all my renovations are complete, and I have restored my home to its former glory. Well, I'm still working on it; progress is slow. Restoration takes time, money, and an almost quixotic faith in something that can exist but does not, yet. I like to think of my Fondren house as a microcosm of Jackson's own restoration. There's still a lot of work to do, but I can see the progress.

As for my renovations, I'm focusing on what I can do right now and trying not to lose sight of what I ultimately want my house to be. After all, where we make our home is where we build our lives. We should strive to improve both, when we can.

Casey Purvis is a Fondrenite who loves planting flowers and watching the birds in her backyard. She is an avid "junker" who loves finding old furniture and giving it a new lease on life. She is owned by Phoebe, a 9-year-old Lhasa apso, and works as a nurse in a local hospital.

Previous Comments

ID

160877

Comment

Thank you, Casey. Your thoughts on being a good neighbor in Jackson warmed my heart. We need more neighbors who love Jackson to speak up as you did.

Author

CatO9tails

Date

2010-11-12T15:02:26-06:00

ID

160879

Comment

Welcome to living in Jackson! BTW, big ups to the city for repairing State Street in Fondren!

Author

golden eagle

Date

2010-11-12T15:18:33-06:00