The Native Iowan

Friday night in The City.

I hear vehicles on the road. Vehicles in the sky. A buzz of movement and frenetic activity.

The greater Los Angeles area has some 13 million residents. Over half the population of Aus and over 25 times the population of the Solomons.

I’m not a city sorta person though I appreciate the offerings a modern urban setting offers.

I like walking the streets. Watching the people.

I like museums and coffee shops and fresh-brewed beer joints.

Burgers n good salads; Nice ethnic foods where the family smiles a lot, and chatters in an unknown language as I sweat over the chilli sauce they told me not to touch.

I enjoy making instantaneous contact: A mis-step to avoid a pedestrian collision, and the smiles of apology and understanding.

I enjoy walking into an empty bar: Getting involved with the bar-keep and his half-drunk buddy, exchanging tales and sharing a few good brews.

The grumpy teller at the bank, bored and thinking of the weekend; I take the time to ask about his day, I note his name and use it in conversation. The smiles grow, the barriers drop, and everyone is happier.

The skinny black dude on roller blades; I’ve seen him a couple of times, he rolls along with dancing steps, arms swinging, almost dancing.

I can ponder the negatives I see or I can ponder the positives.

I do hear a lot of sirens. I see a fair number of unhappy faces. I have met one crazy person I made the mistake of making eye contact with. But the police doing their jobs is a positive, and unhappy, even crazy people come n go. Life abounds with smiles and tears.

And such is life.

And such is my short pondering in an urban setting.

More later