Saturday, June 25, 2011

Sidewalk Adventures

The only thing that I have found to stay constant in my life is change, so it seems only natural to evolve the content, perhaps title, of this blog that is my narrative self.

The Wandering Rambling Circus of Encounters... Human Nature in Terms of Dog Poop, or Sidewalk Adventures come to mind...

Life is pretty interesting in Seattle, and I'm hoping this summer brings more stories, because I speak of these adventures in tones of irritation, but really I enjoy immensely the education that they bring...


It has been an eclectic adventure since I moved here one year ago. I have encountered more passive confrontations involving dog poop than ever in my life. Now two weeks ago our mail delivery stopped after the mail carrier saw our dog, Nora, the kissing (should really say licking) queen, in our yard without a leash on.

In Seattle culture, where dogs have seemingly human rights, they can also be punished and resented as a human would be. No dogs in the middle school field down the block, but yes dogs in the cosmetics aisle of Walgreens. Hidden agendas, passive aggressive pleas, and I find myself wishing for anonymity, for lack of eye contact, and a general mind your own business stagger. Back home when you have toilet paper stuck to your shoe, someone tells you simply because they want you to know. In Seattle, they tell you the same thing, but they probably want you to use it to wipe up your dog poop too.

It's been good for me, because now I've learned to laugh when people tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing. But I often walk away with a really good retort that I wish I'd been witty enough to say at the time. Which, I think is a pretty universal feeling.

More photos to follow...