Finding More Than Just Plums
So, the other day, I got this sudden craving for plums. Not just any plums, you know? The kind that taste like summer, maybe a little sun-warm. Don’t ask me why, it just hit me. First thing I did, like everyone else, I grabbed my phone and typed in “plums near me”.
Predictably, it just threw a list of supermarkets at me. Yeah, okay, I know I can buy plums at MegaMart or whatever. But that wasn’t the vibe. I wanted something… different. Less plastic packaging, more real. It felt kinda lazy just clicking ‘add to cart’. Made me think about how disconnected things are now.
I remembered old Mr. Abernathy who used to live a few blocks over. He had this fantastic plum tree in his front yard. Huge thing. He’d sometimes leave a basket out on the curb with a little handwritten sign. Haven’t seen that in years. Wondered if the tree was even still there. Decided it was worth a walk.
So, I put on my shoes and headed out. It’s funny walking through the old neighborhood. Lots of changes. New houses squished onto small lots, gardens paved over for extra parking. Mr. Abernathy’s place? Totally different. New owners, slick modern fence, and yup, no plum tree. Just perfectly manicured lawn. Kinda sad, honestly. It felt like another piece of the old neighborhood character just vanished. Progress, I guess?
Felt a bit flat after that. Started walking back, thinking maybe the supermarket wasn’t so bad after all. Then, cutting behind the library – a route I don’t usually take – I saw this little, hand-painted sign. Community Garden Project. I’d lived here ages and never really noticed it tucked back there.
Curiosity got the better of me. I wandered down the path. And there it was. Not huge, but green and alive. People were actually working the soil, tending to rows of veggies. And guess what? Tucked in a corner:
- Some apple trees
- A couple of pear trees
- And yes, two plum trees!
They weren’t dripping with fruit right then, looked like it was maybe a bit early or late in the season for them specifically. But they were there.
Got chatting with a woman who was watering some tomatoes. Super friendly. She explained how the garden worked, folks renting plots, sharing surplus. Sometimes they put excess fruit and veg out for donation or small sales. No plums for me to take home that day, but finding that spot, that little hub of green right there near me, felt way better than just finding fruit.
It wasn’t about the instant gratification of getting plums right now. It was finding a place, a connection, something real growing just down the street. Way better than any online search result. Sometimes “near me” is more about looking around you than looking down at a screen.
