Have you ever thought about returning to a house you lived in as a kid? During our last trip to Los Angeles, I (Rhett) decided to do just that. The last time I saw this place was when I was 5 or 6 years old, just before I moved to North Carolina and met Link.
What would you do if a stranger showed up and wanted to see your house because they used to live in it? Maybe I was too hard on the guy for being so suspicious. But I don’t think we seemed like a threat…who knows. Also, let us know if you’ve ever tried this same thing and what happened.
This is the first I have ever seen your videos and um… my name is Rhett as well
Last week my family and I drove to Detroit, Michigan to see my grandma’s childhood home. When we arrived the only thing left was some bricks, but the best part was we were in a Mercury Mountaineer (which is not exactly cheap) and we were white and in the ghetto! I counted 112 abandoned buildings! No JOKE!!!
Wow the childhood place. I have lived in my current..umm domicile since I was 4-5 years old so I think I am still in my childhood place.
Hell, I would’ve made you dinner.
I think it’s sad that he wouldn’t even shake your hand, instead, he looked at it like it was covered in snot.
I got the distinct impression that some of the neighbor’s comments about the people living in your old house were missing
“They’re not letting you guys in…” That sounds like the way we talk about my parent’s new neighbors, “Don’t go to their door, they’ll answer it with a gun in their hand…” Bad neighbors, maybe?
The fact is, even if the story were true (which I doubt). He was still a total Jerk about it. Plus the whole not answering the door is suspicious. Not shaking hands? Come on!
We had some people come visit us who used to live in the house about 30-40 years ago. We gave them a tour and everything. (We’ve made some major renovations.)
-Elmernite
Rhett, you can’t drive without a seat belt (!)… what kind of example is that?
I live in Arizona now and have for over 20 years. I went back after over 20 years to my old neighborhood in Minnesota. I pulled up and took a picture of the house I grew up in. While I was taking the picture the person living there now came out and asked why I was taking a picture. I told him I lived there when I was a teenager and then he was cool and let me look around. Wow it looked exactly as I remember.
MY you were a tall five-year-old!
I’ve driven past my old house a few times, but never gone in–I’m still bitter that they tore down my play house in the backyard. It was awesome. Real tile on the floor and real screen windows…sure it was infested with wasps every year, but eh.
I only lived in two houses growing up, when I was 5 we moved across the street, and my parents still live in that house. A few years ago the city tore our old house down to make a street. My parents, my brother and I all went over together and looked through the house one last time before they tore it down. It was a nice sentimental little moment that we all shared, and I’m glad we got to do so before the house was gone.
The house I live in now, I bought with my husband when we first got married, and it was a DUMP. It was like the house from the movie The Money Pit. EVERYTHING was wrong with this house. We spent the first two years of our marriage just throwing every spare dollar we had into forcing this thing into something resembling a house.
Then last October the couple who lived in the house last came trick or treating on our street so they can see their old house. We let them in and let them tour the entire house, and the whole time my husband was saying things like, “So, was it YOU who completely effed up the electrical in the kitchen? Was it YOU who put up panelboard instead of drywall and didn’t insulate the wall?” If they had acted embarassed I would have felt bad, but they were totally guileless about the whole thing, and they were really happy to see their old house. And in a way, it was nice to have faces to put all of our bitter house resentment towards!
That was so rude! If someone came to my house and asked to see it I would let them in. He wouldn’t even shake Rhett’s hand!
I just drove past my childhood home a couple of hours ago. I didn’t go and knock though. My parents only moved out about 5 years ago, so it hasn’t been that long since I was inside. The house looked good though. The flower bushes and trees that my mom planted are doing great. They painted and I think the color is an improvement too. I’m glad to see that the new owners are taking care of it.
I’ve been wanting to go see my grandmother’s home in the mountains of NC where I spent most of my summers. My uncle made renovations to it after her passing and sold it. . . but after watching what happened to Rhett. .. . I’m a little hesitant now… I’m so sorry you didn’t even get to take a tour or aloud to video the outside!! thanks for sharing anyway. . it was nice to know the neighbors still remembered you and were so warm and even follow your work!
I agree with amberly… a little suspicious about what might actually be going on in that house. Seriously, he was very weird about it. I’ve driven by my childhood home (also in So Cal) but never knocked on the door. One day, I will. I do know they have added onto it, so it might NOT look smaller than I remember (as is typical)!
yeah my grandpa, whos still alive, grew up in preston idaho, (ring a bell? try napleon dynamite) and his house is, well, standing, but its close to ruins
Man, what a jerk! He could have given you a better reason than that or at least be nice to you. And for him to leave you hangin’ like that!? Wow.
I still live in my childhood home. But my mom, my aunt, and I did get to go see my grandparents’ house about a year ago. It’s where my mom and aunt grew up. We used to visit my grandparents all the time; they lived about an hour away.
Anyway, we went over there and we got to visit the next door neighbors (good friends of ours), like you did. Then we got to go into my grandparents’ old house. The people who live there now were very nice to us. They showed us all around the house, what they changed and what they kept the same. The only thing is, they only live there half the year, then go down to Florida for the other half. We felt bad that the house is empty half the year.
Recently we heard from the neighbors that they might sell the house and move to Florida.
If I had the chance to visit MY childhood home years from now, I probably would.
Well, Rhett, too bad. That was definitely creepy.
I had the great fortune of taking my husband by the house I grew up in, in Portland Oregon when he was going to school there.
Not only were the people friendly, they invited us in, and showed us all around, all the remodelling they had done. We weren’t even trying to go inside, but they insisted, and it was an extremely enjoyable experience. Like others have said, it wasn’t really my old home, as it looked so different. I think the best views of your childhood home are locked inside your head. You’ll just have to look around for them!
I’m sorry you couldn’t see inside your old house, Rhett! But your neighbor recognized you immediately! I love that she watches R&L videos.
The new owner of your childhood home seems shady–he checks the mail IMMEDIATELY after it’s dropped off, won’t answer the door, won’t let you inside…you probably didn’t want to see inside the house. Whatever is in there might subconciously ruin any idealistic perceptions you may have of childhood, or something equally scarring.
Or maybe he just didn’t want to let two dudes with a camera phone into his house. No Southern Hospitality like in North Cakalaka.
I understand the guy being a little caught off-guard, but he was being pretty rude about it. Especially how he just ignored your handshake. And you were really nice about it.
I agree with you, Rhett. That guy was weird.
I’ve never done this…the first house I grew up in is five minutes away, and the second house I’ve ever lived in is across the street! So, it wouldn’t be very exciting. haha
I have thought about doing that, but wondered if it was a major faux pas, and I was concerned that the people in the house might think I was “casing the joint”, and react badly. Ah, but what’s the worst that could happen? Don’t answer that. Maybe if I bring some pictures of the house as it was back then, they might have more incentive to let me in — a little bit of quid pro quo, ya’ know?
Well Wendy, you DID pee in her stream.
All my old houses were in Apex; one has been torn down, but the others are still there, both on Pearson St. near A.V. Baucom (I was one of the 1st group on students to attend there, as a 3rd grader)
I went back to my childhood home in Piscataway, NJ. The owner had not taken very good care of the house. He did answer the door, but I could tell he was embarrassed by the condition of the house. He didn’t offer to let me in. I did walk around to the backyard of the house, though. And me and my husband walked down to the end of the block where I used to pee in the stream. Hee hee. I did talk to one of the neighbors who remembered me. She was probably around 14 when I moved, and I was only 7….I didn’t really have what you would call “fond” memories of her! Anyway… overall the experience was a bit of a let down.
Wendy
Apex, NC
once we drove by my old house that used to be painted a yellow color, when we drove by, it was painted a baby poop brown!
Actually today I went to my old house I lived in when I was 3. I only got to see the outside of the house because I don’t know the people who live their now…. Awkward.
WHAT?? No mention of the baby elephant in the neighbor’s living room? What is the deal with that?
Awesome! Kinda like a “Looking for Miss Locklear” only you found Miss Carol! Denise had a good idea, if only the neighbors had went with you, darn! Oh and those pictures of young Rhett, OMG Locke SO resembles his Daddy! I can still go visit my childhood house because my brother still lives there, after our folks passed. Everything seems MUCH smaller there too!
“you can’t go home again” I was able to revisit my childhood home due to a friend of a friend buying it! Small world! It was amazing to see how different styles come and go but the soul of the house remains!
Also, through the magic of Facebook I found that some friend had bought my Grandmother’s farm next door to my childhood home. I contacted them and they sent me some black walnuts and chestnuts from her trees which I now have growing in SC!
I went back to visit my childhood home some 30 years later and actually knew the owners! They gave me the full tour. My Dad had built the house himself and had custom archways in the hall. Got to see his handy work again! When I was little he and I built a “fallout shelter” (this was back in the early 60′s) and a storage building, both of which were still there. Everything was as I remembered it, except the trees, which were mere saplings in the 60′s, were huge.
My family and I also visited a home we had moved from some 10 years ago when our children were very young. The new owners welcomed us there and gave us the full tour. They had done some remodeling, which made quite a difference. I built a big play yard for the kids that was still there, in fact, my daughter (who was then 7) told the owner she used to “bury gold” (gold painted rocks) in the pea gravel under the swings. She went down to the play yard and unearthed the treasure she had buried 10 years earlier! That was cool!
I think that was kinda mean guys he could’ve been telling the truth and protecting you. Plus he didn’t know who you where you could’ve been lying for all he knows and you could’ve been terrorists you know you can’t judge people like that. I’m sorry you guys did’t get to see the house though. I’m still a kid but we drive by our old house sometimes we’ve never gone in though. Theres one more house we lived in before that in a different state when I was a baby that we see sometimes. We don’t go in but we see the outside it’s at a camp that my dad was the assitant director at for about a year when it got to be too much for him. They’ve had a lot of other houses before though because when they first got married moved around a lot. Anyways at least you guys got to see Rhetts old neighbour =D
MaY yOuR fOoD aLwAyS bE yUmMy!
*A Pickle Obsessor*
You should have had the neighbors introduce you to him. You might have had better success!
I can certainly understand that the guy didn’t want to let you in. I just wish he would have been a little bit more… congenial about it. Like, he could have at least shook your hand. On the other hand, I would be a little weirded out by someone I don’t know asking to see my house. At any rate, your neighbors seemed pretty awesome!
Maybe the guy thought you two were narc’s. It is Cali, after all!
Mold Brain lol.
I am back in my hometown for the next week or so. This is making me curious about who lives in my old house. I won’t have the security of old neighbors though… Should I risk it?
I sell stuff door to door. I am a Boy Scout. I knock on doors and beg those who answer to buy popcorn from me.
Holy crap!
Hey, some people have reasons to be paranoid. I’m not saying they’re good reasons, but reasons, nonetheless. MDid you go to the post office afterwards, maybe take a gander at the Most Wanted posters?
Rhett, you were an adorable little boy.
Hey Rhett….too bad you didn’t get to go inside. I went to my childhood home a few years ago and actually got to go inside and look around- mind you the house was for sale and it was during an open house, but I still got to go in and look around. I have to say, it was great to go back in but it was a bit of a disappointment. The house wasn’t ours anymore – it was all different and seemed A LOT smaller than I remembered. I guess everything seems bigger when you’re a kid.
How cool the next door neighbours were still the same and they were so awesome! At least your visit wasn’t a total loss.
When I was a teenager, I went to a family reunion at my parents home town (where I had never been before). We went to my Dad’s old house to see where he grew up. The thing was, we were a mob of people. Besides my parents, me, my five siblings, with us also were my grandmother, three uncles and their wives and kids. The current owners were very hospitable but the grownups made us kids wait outside because the house wasn’t big enough for us all.
I went back with my mother when I graduated boot camp in the US Army. I grew up in a not so nice side of Charlotte NC and when I knocked on the door in full dress green uniform, the door was opened and a 9mm was put in my face.
yeah.. I didn’t get to go in either. at least your nutjob didn’t pull a gun on you.
I have to many to go back to so This would be very tough.
@Rhett there are so many bad people in the world now that people don’t trust like they did when you were a young boy. This guy might have trust issues and he might actually telling you the truth. Just a thought…
I used to visit friends who still lived on the street I used to live in, but I never really looked over at my house. It was just kind of weird and sad. Now because of bad memories or anything, I just felt bad about leaving it.
When I? returned to my childhood home with my parents, I didn’t get to see it from inside because there was no one home. They would probably not had let me in anyways, so.
But I went with my parents to my childhood kindergarten, and the employees actually recognized my parents when we walked by! They didn’t recognize me at the beginning of course. We sat down and talked, and it was a great experience!
Maybe you should try out that next time!
Since my great uncle actually built my childhood home with his own hands, I thought it would be a great idea to go back and did it about a year ago. The family living there has been there for 10 years and welcomed me with open arms! She loves the house (which made me feel great), has made some interesting improvements, and has completely transformed the back yard from my Dad’s classic Italian vegetable patch to a lovely garden and lawn. She let me take pictures inside and out and asked me to write down the history of the house so she could show it to her husband!!! It was an awesome experience. Now, the neighborhood…that’s another story. Went completely to pot. Sorry you didn’t get to see inside, Rhett. That would have been special…though you might have contracted pneumonia!