A beautiful day it was in my fair city. After weeks of much-needed rain and dark, cold days, the sun came out behind the clouds prompting me to take a walk in the "hood." For a long time, it seems that the streets around my house have been empty, except for the swishing of passing cars and the occasional ambulance or fire engine careening by with sirens blaring. I did get out of the house in the car, but I never notice much in my car. Walking provides a different insight and closer contact with people and places. Today was such a day.
As I left the house, my block was empty, except for a tall, lean man wearing a black t-shirt and sprouting dread locks walking very rapidly towards me. I watched him curiously on the corner til he passed by and then I crossed to the sunny side of the street and headed to the next block. When I reached Noriega, a very busy street, I had to wait while cars and a bus went through the intersection, since I don't like to walk out in front of cars expecting them to stop for me. Then I walked leisurely down 43rd Avenue. I noticed the house on the corner was almost finished it's renovation after being covered for a few months. It had new windows and new tar-paper covered with wire mesh awaiting stucco., I supposed. Then I wondered what my house was like under the stucco--was it full of dry rot or mold?
I continued along looking at the gardens which were full of weeds and sprouting Oxalis--the bane of the neighborhood. The side-walks are all cracked in places and ugly telephone and other electronic wires form a canopy over the streets. My neighborhood seems shoddy at times. Then awakening me from my reverie, a man in a 49er's SuperBowl t-shirt, who was stuffing his dog into his little car, smiled and said hello to me. That felt very neighborly. At last I reached the coffee shop on the corner of 43rd and Lawton. It is a fairly new establishment and seems to be doing very well. I always see long lines of people waiting patiently for the cup of java and today was no exception. In front of the shop were a group of young women with small babies dangling out of front packs strapped in front of them. The women were all chatting happily waiting to order. After I said they look like a mother/baby group, they responded that they had been taking yoga lessons with the babies at a place on Irving. After a short wait, it was my turn to order my coffee and a scone. The lady at the cash register was very friendly and helpful and when I asked when there was a quiet time at the coffee shop, she said that it doesn't happen very often, as I suspected. I ate my feta cheese/ squash pastry out side with my medium cappuccino with the perfect tree design on top. It was delicious. As I started to leave I noticed another group of people accumulating around the corner--people with a variety of big and little pooches out for a walk. It was very reassuring to see my neighborhood blooming with lots of folks talking and enjoying the day outdoors.
I continued up Lawton Street towards the school my kids used to attend. It was quiet there, and I noticed changes. There were pontoons lined up along the yard where parents could drive up to pick up their students. In my day and also when my children went to school, the kids poured out of the school to walk home. Now there are lots of parents picking up their children not only at Holy Name but at all the schools in the area. Is it because the families live far from the schools, or is it because parents are afraid their children will be hurt or kidnapped. Or maybe we have just become dependent on our automobiles.
On 39th Avenue I turned to the right toward the library. On the way I saw lots of donations in bags and boxes sitting out on the curbs in front of houses. It was a pickup day for UCP and there across the street was a man throwing items in the back of a brim-filled delivery truck. I kind of gasped thinking the donations were being squished. It also struck me how much junk we seem to accumulate, but it is a good idea to give our unused items to others when we are finished with them.
My next stop was the library where I found a great book on the history of Greek mythology. I have been going to some lectures on Mothers in Greek mythology and the subject piqued my curiousiy. I wanted to find out how and where myths started. Apparently they start with oral tradition and are written down much later, like by Homer. I didn't want to get yet another book at home, so I just relaxed and read a bit there until I felt sleepy. Then I walked down the hill back home--the walk was only 1 1/2 miles but I felt good to be outdoors. I need to explore more of my "Parkside Dunes" neighborhood and beyond.
No comments:
Post a Comment