I was driving home on 290 from Austin several weeks back, reminiscing about the time when there was very little civilization between Austin and Dripping Springs. Now, it seems like there’s a new subdivision – along with a new stop light – popping up every half mile or so. The names are local and romantic: “Hidden Springs Ranch” and “Big Sky Ranch.” The amenities offered to entice families to move there include wellness rooms, aquatic centers, fire pits, picnic areas, dog parks and other attractions. What caught my eye on this particular trip was a sign that advertised: “Backyards.”
Backyards? Since when are backyards something special for a family-oriented community? I might be a bit old school, but where else would you hose down the family dog, set up a swing set or make a fort for the kids, or grow your year-round vegetable garden.
In a somewhat related way, another type of auto trip made me think more seriously about backyards. Several months ago, I was in a conversation with a group of retirees instructing me on how I should design a new lifestyle when it was my time to hang ‘em up. One gentleman reminded us that a great place to spend time on a budget is the Big Bend National Park in far West Texas, and I quote: “It’s a great way to escape Wimberley Valley.”
Escape? It wasn’t clear just what he was escaping from, except a lot more traffic north and east of us lately. Do I want to escape rolling hills, cactus, a river and streams, while being held captive by a dark sky full of bright twinkling lights and churches filled with veterans from all services to help us celebrate patriotic holidays, just like in the movies? People I talk with who live in Dallas, Houston and even Austin tell me, “Oh, you live in Wimberley – how nice. How lucky you are.”
The fact is, the Wimberley Valley already serves as a back yard for many big city dwellers. I’ve recently been spending considerable time conducting a sociological study of health care activities among all residents in the Big Bend, Alpine and Marfa areas. I sometimes take the Texas Eagle train to Alpine where I meet up with my colleagues at Sul Ross University. They keep horses in their three- and fouracre backyards. The Big Bend is a magnificent place, with its mountains, cactus, a river and streams. It serves as a backyard for many of us who live in the Wimberley Valley, as a way to escape from one paradise to the next.
It turns out that a “backyard” is less about square footage and more about a state of mind.
Whether it’s a quarter- acre behind a modest home or a thousand desert acres under the Chisos sky, it’s the place we retreat, recharge, and remember what matters.
So maybe the next big amenity isn’t a dog park or fire pit. Maybe it’s just having a place to unwind, to call your own, wherever that may be. That’s where stories unfold, dogs get muddy and the stars still show up to perform.
Joe Kotarba teaches sociology courses in popular culture and health at Texas State University. His writing and research includes his most recent book, Music Across the Course of Life. He is currently writing on the ‘Frontiers of Health’ in far West Texas and the Big Bend area. Joe is a Member of WimberleyArts. org.
