the things you miss...
i probably spend more time in the 'loin now that i live in portland than i did when i lived in SF. when i was in SF, i basically only ever had 2 reasons to go there:
1. shalimar
2. edinburgh castle
both of which i loved, but neither of which i patronized all that often. now, when i travel to SF for work once a month, i almost always stay at the hilton near union square (perhaps an odd choice, but for some reason i've always liked my hotels big; don't know why...).
while a walk through the 'loin at night (or hell, any hour) is undeniably creepy and depressing, there's something oddly invigorating about it. it reminds me why the urban landscape is my preferred habitat.
i grew up in the 'burbs, and i remember all too well how stultifying the suburban experience can be. yes, life is full of unpleasantness, and wanting to avoid that unpleasantness is a natural reaction. but, in one of life's little paradoxes, the more you try to shelter yourself from that stuff, the harder it becomes to retain a proper sense of perspective on life, and to fully appreciate all that we have.
i've never been more aware of (or thankful for) just how wealthy we as americans are as i was when i returned from a one week business trip to india in the summer of '03. by the same token, a walk through the 'loin is a harsh reminder of how wide the spread is between the haves and the have nots in the good ol' US-of-A, and how lucky i am to not be on the short end of that stick.
didn't mean to get all deep on my first post. unfortunately, i don't think i share josh's skill at remembering and relating specific incidents. i resolve to retain more of my 'loin adventures in the future!
1. shalimar
2. edinburgh castle
both of which i loved, but neither of which i patronized all that often. now, when i travel to SF for work once a month, i almost always stay at the hilton near union square (perhaps an odd choice, but for some reason i've always liked my hotels big; don't know why...).
while a walk through the 'loin at night (or hell, any hour) is undeniably creepy and depressing, there's something oddly invigorating about it. it reminds me why the urban landscape is my preferred habitat.
i grew up in the 'burbs, and i remember all too well how stultifying the suburban experience can be. yes, life is full of unpleasantness, and wanting to avoid that unpleasantness is a natural reaction. but, in one of life's little paradoxes, the more you try to shelter yourself from that stuff, the harder it becomes to retain a proper sense of perspective on life, and to fully appreciate all that we have.
i've never been more aware of (or thankful for) just how wealthy we as americans are as i was when i returned from a one week business trip to india in the summer of '03. by the same token, a walk through the 'loin is a harsh reminder of how wide the spread is between the haves and the have nots in the good ol' US-of-A, and how lucky i am to not be on the short end of that stick.
didn't mean to get all deep on my first post. unfortunately, i don't think i share josh's skill at remembering and relating specific incidents. i resolve to retain more of my 'loin adventures in the future!
posted by Eric at 10:46 PM
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