February 13, 2010

Off the Freeway




Three pulley’s on the Star. 2007.




Himself: Swam, job hunted and there was only one, drove to the hinterlands, hit two thrift stores, and ate at Brian’s. Meeting. Olympics.

Herself: Got a pair of black dress pants in the newer, bigger size….since I have to dress up tomorrow night.

Not only am I reading a new Cadell this weekend, I have granddaughter vignettes to read and an essay by Lessa here on my computer. Sometimes Mohave’s writings are a little too brilliant for me to digest all at once, but Lessa’s thesis statement works well with me.

She argues that sometimes a hard won and fought for changes have important ripple effects. Oh, she didn’t say it like that….she wrote it all much better than I did. She’s clear in her “compare and contrast” points, and I sure am proud of her.

I remain less proud of myself….no camera in hand again. After taking our old spice shelves out to KAP’s new-old, delightful, wonderful hodgepodge of a home, we drove back toward the coast off the freeway on University Avenue. He wanted to stop by an old favorite thrift store….no longer there. Disappointed, over a hill we came to find ourselves in a Muslim community with flowing black burka’s contrasting with a Hispanic mother’s denim and bright colors. The streets were busy, and the sidewalks were crowded.

Over another rise, we found ourselves in the Vietnam community. Colorful signs in two languages tantalized us with translations. Tiny stores everywhere. Grandmother’s in their pajama bottoms and wide hats rushed from the shade of a building to get on a bus. Only a few blocks further toward home and we found ourselves in a Chinese community, and then a black neighborhood. More tiny stores most seeming to be doing a land office business.

A freeway splits one neighborhood, and the buildings grow more middle class. Another freeway…when they should have tunneled, and we found ourselves in a gay enclave, then finally Whitebread Land overlooking the bay.

We take the freeway too often here. Perhaps it is time to stir things up a bit.

5 comments:

  1. I totally agree. Freeways have allowed us to ignore those around us. Our son will not take the freeway if there's any other way to go. He enjoys driving through neighborhoods, where he sees people and the lives they live.

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  2. I admit to being hooked after reading your latest 10-15 posts. I'm wondering how far back I'd have to read to find out where your adventures began....i.e. are you living where you've lived your entire life or did you recently move to your current location? You're not living on a boat, are you? So many questions I scarely know where to begin. Your style intrigues me. (found you thanks to Linda's blog...)

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  3. I so enjoyed this post,Mage. We went to Scandanavia one year and at first we really enjoyed it.

    BUT, after a few days a strange feeling came over us. Everybody looked exactly the same. Blonde hair,blue eyes. That was fine and the people were lovely but we longed for some ethnic diversity.

    It was a blessing to come home to the good old U.S.A, where we mingled with Black people, Asians,
    Muslims and people who looked just like us. God Bless America....

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  4. Oh, Nancy, I so enjoy your comments, and I wish there were a link so I could write you back.

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  5. Sounds like a great Saturday drive. I had no idea southern Cal was so ethnically diversified--maybe even more so than SF.

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