Kyla Martinez Myers

My Home

800 South Bouziden

At the age of 11, the year of 1978, during the middle of my 6th grade year is where my memories of 800 South Bouziden begin.  I was utterly terrified, yet so incredibly excited to begin a new life.  

Pulling up into the steep driveway, getting out and bolting to the front door, I can still hear mom yelling “go up stairs and pick which room you want.”  I felt as though we were the richest people ever to have such a huge mansion! Brent, Peetie, Juan and I ran up the stairs all of us wanting to get to the top before the other, in order to get first dibbs.  We each headed in different directions, I don’t recall ever fighting about the choices we made.  I think we were all so excited to have our own rooms it really didn’t matter!  I chose the south bedroom, so big and spacious a room of my very own, I even got to choose what colors I wanted to use for decor!  Lime green and yellow had to have been popular in 1978 because I can’t imagine using those colors today!  That’s what I wanted and that is what I got!  I loved my room so much that I spent most of my time there. I have many good memories in my room however, the one that sticks out more than any is of, my best friend Crystal spending the night. She and I would stay up all night playing UNO and drinking sweet tea. We would lay across my bed and see who could pinch who the hardest with our toes, Crystal was always the winner, as her toes were much longer than mine!  

As I grew into a teenager, 800 South Bouziden was always a place to bring our friends.  It was a home that anyone who walked through the door felt at home.  Mom would always have enough food for one or two more people as she never knew who would be staying for dinner, which was always at 5:00 o’clock not a minute before or after!  At 5:00 o’clock your ass better be in your seat!  Many, many good deep conversations took place at the dinner table, after the kitchen was cleaned of course.  The dinner table was a place of comfort, where you felt safe to play a game or pour your heart out!  One day I came home to my best friend Robyn pouring her heart out to mom at the dinner table, that day I realized that I could never leave Robyn alone with mom, as she and I both learned that she could never lie to my mom!  Any question that mom asked, no matter what it was, Robyn could not say anything but the truth the whole truth!! Another memory that comes to my mind is of, Mom, Davis and Dalton having a lil tea party with mom’s lil china tea set, baby dill pickles, cubes of cheese and sweet tea made with love, it was precious!  They were eager to invite me to join them and I of course was eagar to oblige!  It never mattered how many people were gather at the table, there was always room for another chair to pull up and join in!!  

Friday nights were family movie nights, we would gather in the living room, after renting a VCR and a new release from Movies Etc...  With freshly popped pop corn and snickers bars we would curl up with blankets, kids all over the living room floor ready to enjoy a movie.  I would have to say one of my fondest memories of the living room at 800 South Bouziden is having Christmas’s with all of the Clark Family gathering in what we thought of being a large room becoming so small packed with family members of all ages singing Christmas Carols while dad and Sonny played their guitars together seated on the fire place hearth.  Lots of love and laughter filled our hearts with joy in that living room during those precious times!!!     

I could fill a book with priceless memories of 800 South Bouziden!  It was a special place filled with special people, my family, my home.  Though it is gone our memories will live on forever, never to be forgotten!  

Home is where your heart is……………

Kyla Elaine Martinez Myers