Wednesday 15 September 2010

ADRIFT IN THE CITY

I ROLL INTO PORTLAND---STRANGER IN A BIG CITY--I have agenda--meet with an old love and get my "papers". (tangible evidence that I am safe for sex) I do this as often as necessary because I owe it to any potential partners----and P.S.-- the two agendas are unrelated. So I select the suburb city of Tigard as my base. (we have agreed to meet at Washington Square Mall) What's more convenient than to camp right at the mall. To assure I won't be "bumped" I play the boondocker trump card for the second time this year. Look carefully at the right front wheel--see the jack? And the Note in the window---explaining my presence. Worked like a charm--slept undisturbed.
While I'm at it I'll show you another campsite--at Home depot--one of my favorites--along with Wal-Mart. Love the convenience--especially when I'm working on "tweaking " projects.
This is my Ex---Leigh--a truly delightful and courageous personality. 25 years ago we lived together for 5 years and have intermittently kept in contact. We had much to catch up on---so we talked for 9 hours almost nonstop. Compared to her, I am timid! She has roamed the far side of the world--lived in Asherams--studied exotic religions--Danced with Sufi Masters--and much much more that I cannot tell you. Long ago, she set her general life course--spiritual awakening--no children---independence---service. (she is social worker specializing in alcoholism) What a thrill to get the story--one highlight was enumerating our lovers---took awhile---lots of surprises!
When I'm adrift in a city, I find the farmers market---and Tigard has perhaps the finest.
Did you know there were this many varities of tomatoes?
And I board the transit system--for the experience of it. Portland has a super duper one. This is a progressive city--are you surprised that it votes democratic? Only the Democratic party can think of the populace collectively--as a very large tribe -- which to some extent--cares about all its members. (Yes, I know, the Democratic party has a sappy, sentimental, element that stupidly wants to divide the pie evenly---a really bad idea--but still nobler than the Republican right wing religious nuts who want government to implement their "revealed" values, and the greedy Republican contingent who believes that transactional wealth(dealmaking wealth) is deserving of the huge money they collect) (HEY! just had a great idea---someone help me discover a "republican" city --I'll go visit and see how its philosophy (" every person for themselves" -- expresses itself in infrastructure, tone, services, creativity, and social ambiance) Brilliant idea!! help me out people--where are Americas' hard-core Republican cities. I'll go live among those insular SOB's just to see if "GREED IS GOOD".
Where was I before I threw a tantrum? Oh yes --adrift in the city. This is the entrance to the greatest bookstore in America---Powells----Oh my Oh my---You readers are in for a treat--millions of used (and new) books at reasonable prices--beautifully sorted and accessible---really great personnel to guide you. Note this lovely carved pillar--a very thoughtful compendium of the 8 greatest books ever written:
They are listed on this poster--can you make them out? Psalms--The Whale (Moby Dick), The Mahabharata (The Bagavad Gita etc), War and Peace, One Thousand Nights and a Night, Tao Te Ching, Hamlet, TheOdyssey. How many have you read? (I can't get through War and Peace)
Love wandering around the heart of downtown--I'm guessing this is a statue of Ganish the Hindu Elephant God.
Bums fascinate me--don't know why--perhaps I'm a closer relative that I'm comfortable admitting.
Perhaps it's because I too am a failure. My relatives say of me "He threw his life away". I've learned to embrace my failure and enjoy the freedom that comes from doing that. Occasionally I will give a pep talk to a dispirited bum--urging him to do likewise. The magic in doing this simple courageous resolve is that the tension--resistance--goes away--and allows a person to "move on."
Stated succinctly by Werner Erhard in his famous aphorism: "IF YOU COULD REALLY "GET IT" THAT YOU WEREN'T "OK"---- THEN YOU COULD STOP PROVING THAT YOU WERE OK. THEN YOU COULD " GET IT" THAT ITS "OK" TO NOT BE OK.---- AND IF IT'S OK NOT TO BE OK---THEN YOU'RE OK---GET IT? In the arcane language of Philosophy it's stated as follows: RE-CREATION CAUSES DISAPPEARANCE. Or in common speech ---- If you look at something long enough---it disappears.
This is the most subtle truth that I know---Not even sure I know it---BUT I'M HAPPY!
Visiting Portland--Ya just gotta visit its famous Rose Garden--Acres and acres of this.
And the City puts on free shows: Wonder if Republican cities have free shows---doubt it! This one featured exhilerating Japanese Drummers.
Lovers in a hidden nook. AAAAAhhhhh---how appealing---I'm gonna find someone for myself.
I leave you with this interesting mystery---did not see the figure in black till yesterday--I was photographing the lady in red---and (as in the movie Blowup) I caught this strange ominous figure in the bushes.----what's he got in his hand?
PHILOSOPHY? Think I've overdone that already. What I notice about myself is that I write my most controversial stuff when I am feeling high--as I am today---hhhmmmm---Mania?















No comments:

Post a Comment