.jpeg)
Moving back to a city has reminded me how much has changed and how little has changed. The urban core holds people from all walks of life, with diverse ethnicities and economic differences. Suburban towns tend to be more homogeneous. I grew up in a suburb on the outskirts of Los Angeles. At the time, the town was all White, the town next to it was a place for middle-class Blacks, and on the other side, a town for middle-income Hispanics. During my childhood, few Americans of Asian descent lived beyond LA city limits. My hometown was known for having the most swimming pools in the area and for residents who belonged to the John Birch Society, an early far-right extremist group. I moved away as soon as I could.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
Going back to the East Bay town in Northern California where we lived for more than 40 years, I realized we had chosen a similar town to my hometown. We selected Danville because we could afford housing there, and it was equi-distance from my job in Fremont and Bill's office in San Francisco, but we also felt comfortable in the community. We loved the green hills, good neighbors, and the simple pleasures of gardening and Sunday BBQs. We connected with people with similar values and beliefs in fairness and equity. During the first Trump administration, the dark side of our town emerged on weekends. We cringed as we watched truck parades with large Trump signs rumble through the town with horns blaring. Groups of Trump fans with signs stood on street corners, yelling at passersby. We couldn't understand what created such fervor, but they exhibited the rising divisions between Americans.
.jpeg)
Cities often provide space for new changes in how we live. Waymo cars are a curious and fast-moving part of San Francisco now. Driverless cars don't exist in the suburbs yet. We see them on the city streets all the time, but they are still in an experimental stage in the city. Sometimes they get confused and just stop, impeding traffic behind them. One afternoon, we were driving home, waiting at a red light, and noticed a Waymo car by our side letting out a passenger. Then the Waymo flicked on its turn signal to try to enter traffic lanes again. No one would let the car in. I thought about etiquette rules. Do you have to be polite to a Waymo?
I still take time in both the city and towns to sit and sketch the people I see. Collected together, I wouldn't know whether those people lived in the city or the suburbs. They are all just people.
.jpeg)
***************
"Oh magic hour, when a child first knows she can read printed words." Betty Smith
While our son was in elementary school, I volunteered to work with some students in his first grade class. One girl had struggled to learn to read. One day as we sat together, she suddenly began to read the words. I'll never forget her joy and excitement. If you have children, grandchildren, or can tutor young people, you will understand the magic of learning to read.
***************
Spring is in full swing now. Birds are nesting and migrating. Check out this website to see the migration all across the Americas.
I enjoyed reading your comments about living in suburban Danville , and how you can find like-minded people , if you try. Born and raised in liberal and diverse San Francisco , where you are now, I did enjoy raising my own children in the more rural environment of Danville in the 1960s. The area has changed dramatically since then, however, and San Ramon, where we now live, has become much more ethnically diverse and more crowded.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, since Trump appeared on the political scene, we have become a very divided nation ! It has become more difficult for me personally to communicate with or even understand Trump supporters. I am not often required to do that, however, since my Republican friends don’t like him either. I fear for the future and what will befall my children and grandchildren and our Democracy!!!
Hi Bev, thanks for reading my blog and commenting.I have to agree with you about our country and the future for children and for our Democracy if trump is able to accomplish what he is trying to do. Already, without strong resistance we will have a difficult time resurrecting some of the vital programs and agencies that he is trying to destroy. Good to hear that your Republican friends don't like him either. I hope they are standing up against him now.
ReplyDelete