Cimbing Hills

On the trail I saw her this morning, a diminutive figure, hunched over, her white shoes contrasting with her lose fitting blue pants and her flowered blouse moving with each step.  At the distance I noticed a faded, yellow sunshade pulled down over her forehead, eyes barely uncovered.  She was moving slowly on the dirt and gravely road.  She wasn’t unlike others who daily walked the pathway trying to get some exercise during this isolating time.

But the most noticeable thing I really saw was the item over which she hunched and struggled moving forward:  It was one of those Rollator Walkers, the kind you can sit on.  It has hand brakes too!  She was making ruts in the dust as she pushed forward.

Anyway, our closing distance narrowed:  Mickey my old pal, his nose straight up in the air trying to detect something in the distance, didn’t seem to care about her.  He had other ideas.

I noticed that she was about to transition from the dirt and gravel area to a steep, paved part of the continuing road down where there was a lip on the transition between the dirt and asphalt.  I quickened my pace to meet her and reached out to help her lift her walker onto the paved surface.  I quickly noticed that her face was weathered and wrinkled – hard days in the past, I assumed.  (She had to be over eighty years old, if she was a day!)

In a foreign accent she said, “I’ve got it!”

I couldn’t help it:  I still reached out and gently lifted the front of the walker to the pavement (I blame my instinct to help on chivalry).  I noticed she wasn’t wearing a restricting mask (nor did I) and she was breathing steadily as she strode on.  I was quite taken back. 

I turned toward the steep incline, motioned upward, and said: “Will you be ok going up,” as I tried to image her tackling the slope with the walker.  I’ve seen many a younger person breathing heavily walking up that stretch of the trail.    

She snickered and said, “I hope so!  I do it all of the time!”   

Wow!  I was totally impressed.  Here was this elderly woman, determined not to waste her day, but willing to tackle her hill, pushing the object which, for most, would victimize them and hasten their demise.  COVID wasn’t about to get her down:  A toast to her and wishing her many more hills to go!

Black Lives Matter

 BLM Protest:

Some thoughts about the BLM protest in Carlsbad, CA on Saturday 06-05: 

It took me back to my days of protesting the Vietnam war, as an enthusiastic and eager college student wanting to be involved in a cause.   I have fond memories of sitting on a relic tank from the Great War at a memorial in the local park shouting anti-war slogans while I possessed a draft number (56) for call up!  Oh, those were the days:  Protesting against the “man!”  (Irony of ironies, I served a year in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot – shows they will take anyone!)

But I digress:   Today’s BLM peaceful protest in the sleepy “Village by the Sea” showed the passions of those who, just like those who protested an unjust war in Vietnam, have a legitimate grievance to express against the government and their representatives which is our right – then and now.

Fortunately, the city and police were accommodating, there wasn’t a heavy hand presence, and everyone seemed to get along.   Sure, there were the usual insults and snide remarks hurled at the police:  one middle-aged woman walked up to an officer and asked why he had a gun and a baton:  “If you have a gun why do you need to carry a big stick?  Do you get your “Jollies” hitting people?”  Another lady, kids in tow, passed a motorcycle officer and said, “thank you for your service!”  (And she was of another ethic background than the officer.)  All in a day’s work for a police officer!

One sad moment I observed was that the local businesses, terrorized by the COVID19 shutdown now spent precious resources to board up their storefronts in anticipation of looting and mayhem – which did not happen!  But at least Las Olas displayed a bit of humor: “Peace, Love and Tacos!”

But the absurdity of the day:  As everyone was leaving the protest, a young woman holding a “Defund the Police” sign summoned the very people she was against, making a complaint about another protest participant who shoved her male friend.  I had the privilege to listen to the interaction; the complaining, the accusations that the police wouldn’t do anything against the alleged perp, how they should arrest the person, etc.  The officers engaged them respectfully, tried to diffuse the situation so it wouldn’t tarnish an otherwise peaceful event, and offered solutions to mitigate their complaint.  (Maybe we need the police, after all.)

So, kudos to the Carlsbad police and to the protesters.  All’s well that ends well.  Now go and express your opinions of injustice and inequality in a peaceful manner.  

Parkers

Who’s occupying those vehicles parked in a fan-shape in the cul-de-sac overlooking a famous, local beach?  The spattering of vehicles made up of campers, pickups and sedans, occupy the spaces with windows darkened not unlike the approaching night.  Several of the vehicles are backed into their spaces, the tailgate lowered on a pickup truck giving an unobstructed view.  Are they there to watch the sunset?  Are they there because they have no place to go… until they must move along, since the sign says: “No Parking after 1 AM?”  

Are some of them part of the safe parking program which allows homeless who live in their vehicles a no hassle place to stay, the last step before the streets?  The camper looks familiar:  it’s been parked there before, now that the beach parking lot has yellow tape across its entrance!  (But you can park on the street: go figure.)

It’s not quite a lover’s lane or make-out point!  There is no solitude at the end of the street as cars jockey for an empty space when one leaves; some couples might be hoping no one looks in!   They can close their eyes and dream that they are in a special place instead of being part of poor city planning.

 But it is all quiet: no motors running, no jam box booming, and no creepers creeping.  Everyone stays in their vehicle, social distancing, I guess.   Are they watching?  Look, look, the sky is constantly changing its hue, from royal purple to midnight blue, with a racing stripe of reddish orange painted between the wet horizon and the closing sky. Are they noticing?   

Do you ever get tired a seeing the setting sun?  Did you see your sunset go down beyond the mountain?  Or through a forest? Or maybe over a farmer’s field.  Or behind a cold high rise in an urban jungle? That same sun I see is the one you see:  I see mine over a distant horizon, at the end of the ocean, sometimes culminating in a green wink!  It signals the end of the day which passes on time and gives me a since of gratitude for what’s happening in front of me. 

And then it happens:  Brake lights!  A second ago there was darkness; now the colors that match the sky illuminate the area.  From brake lights!  Is the car rolling forward?  Was it a mistake to hit the brakes?  Is the car readying to leave?  Who knows…?  (I didn’t stay around to find out because I didn’t want to get a ticket for watching the sun set!)