Perspectives

I had the opportunity to work the Primary election on Tuesday and was pleasantly surprised to meet a number of people in my party, which is not the majority party, in my own neighborhood. I knew of only one other family of our persuasion before that, neighbors I’d seen at a caucus in 2008. I was also surprised by the religious and racial diversity of those neighbors. Suffice it to say that I was operating from a position I’d put myself in: isolation. It is so easy to fall into that position when you can get so many social needs fulfilled right at your desk. Between my online activity and travel, I really haven’t taken the time to get to know, or be involved, in my own neighborhood. It came at a good time. As my husband and I discuss what we want to do geographically, now that we are empty nesters, we’ve often thought we’d like to move “downtown”… or mid town to be more precise. The cost of real estate and the dearth of actual yards for our dogs and flowers has been the reason we’ve hesitated, especially now that he is winding down on his employment. Our reasons for moving were simple… we wanted to be around more people who we could be friends with. And be closer to writing groups, discussion groups and walkable restaurants, bars and galleries. We won’t find walkable restaurants and bars in the suburbs, but it is possible we have underestimated the community for some of the other things. Time to find out. I am at the beach today. The sun is bright and there are only gentle waves on the ocean, beautiful music to work by. It is warm enough that I will spend some time with my book out on the deck, and take the dogs for a walk on the beach. (You didn’t think I’d leave them home surely!) The weather has been confusing, (especially to my allergies) … last weekend we were in the Eighties for the Dog Parade on Sunday and then in the twenties on Tuesday with the coldest rain I can remember. Here are my pups, dressed in their South Pacific costumes, for the Mardi gras parade. They had a lot of fun meeting new dog friends, and were perfect for the parade, letting little kids pet them and generally loving the attention. I was not at all surprised. I’m off to rewrite my Muslim character today. I have not done him justice yet, but I think I know how to fix that. Another surprise from my election clerking… but it did affirm my central theme of invisibility. It isn’t just me.