the Lorax was here

Have you ever had a childhood place that you went to recently and discovered that it's gone? There was a place that I went to maybe a year back. It was a square mile filled with natural palm trees covering the entire block. It resembled probably what Vietnam looks like. I used to call it Lil' Vietnam. It was about a couple of miles from where we used to live when we first moved to Arizona. I used to run there and back. I would even bring visitors with me to show them it's natural wonder. Today, with it's moderate temperatures (at least for Arizona) and bright sunlight, seemed like the perfect day to stop by and photograph the area. To my dismay, the entire lot was empty and barren. It looked like the surrounding residential developments hinted at it's future purpose. All that was left were it's skeletal remains. Not only was I devastated by the loss of this "island paradise" but it created an inward dilemma, as my day job consists of building massive structures I feel somewhat responsible for the removal of this site. So I can't feel too upset seeing that with growth and prosperity requires expansion. It's a paradox. I still miss my Lil' Vietnam though. What a bummer. It was a great place with flourishing vines and tall trunks with plenty of shade. There were exotic animals from various parts of the world that would gather and live off the ever-giving nutrients it provided daily. There were even Ewoks that built tree houses and would sing songs to the indigenous residents nearby (Ok that last bit I made up). Regardless it was truly a grand site and will always be a part of me. . . I guess that was the eulogy.