at the crossroads....

July 5---a long way from the beginning of the term at Friends. This was a long, hard weekend---too much free time---too much pressure on myself to stay with a "harsh" budget. And yet, it seems it will continue. How do we deal with this? Actually lots of  "events" coming up in the next two weeks--six out of the next nine days are already planned---but the waiting---my mind seems to race incredibly fast-can be difficult. So lets review what happened after Monday's blog.
Monday evening: the plan was to go to South Fourth and that is what I did. My friend Harlo, whom I had missed the night before by a few minutes was there---and we had a good conversation. She invited me to a panel on Friday night which will follow a movie about cyber-security. I accepted---sounds interesting and I want to give her support. Watched a bit of the Yankee game---then thought it would be nice to wander over to Pete's Candy Store, a bar-hangout about 12 blocks northeast of South Fourth. Took the trip---the most interesting part was walking east on North Ninth street---could not believe all the new buildings on the blocks between Driggs and Havemeyer. Very quiet in that area, also. But when I finally got to Pete's it looked extremely crowded,and, since I was not watching a musical act there, I decided not to go in. Began to get tired---and figured it might be nice to just return home. Walked a bit to Union, and then took the L back to 14th, etc. etc.
  Yesterday---July 4---in past years South Fourth had a cookout---lots of fun and people, this year for the second year in a row, it did not happen. But that is where I arrived, about 12:30 just in time to see the gross out hot dog eating contest on television. Chatted a bit with bartender Jimmy, a great guy then Harlo came in again---we did not talk much, as she seemed busy on her i-phone and I felt a lot had been said the day before. I watched much of the first part of the Yankee game---then took off for a "journey" through Brooklyn. But where? Found myself on the 46 bus which goes east on Broadway and finally turns south on Malcolm X Boulevard, which morphs into Utica Avenue. Nice trip---figured at Utica I would take the 4 to Brooklyn Museum stop and read a bit---but the train did not come for about 15 minutes, then it was announced that it would be another 15 minutes before the next train departed. Not for cityboy! Easier to walk---I told myself- especially since I had no basic destination. So I walked on the park grid that separates the north and south side of Eastern Parkway, between Schenectedy and Kingston Avenue. I remembered that if I had been raised in Brooklyn, if my parents had chosen to live and teach there, this could have been where I spent many weekend afternoons, fallen in love---chatted with elders, etc. Once an all Jewish neighborhood, just like mine on Pelham Parkway. And then it all changed. Early and mid sixties. We are so far away from that now, why should it matter? Memory---you hold on to the vision even as time moves further and further away. Where are all these other young people who were my contemporaries now?  Away? Dead? Anywhere?
The walk continued---I knew that a bus went west on St Johns Place, two blocks north, and so on Kingston I walked north, only to see a bus go by, just when I was across the street. Well, nothing left to do but continue walking--west on Saint Johns, passing some beautiful brownstones, the whole of these blocks are mostly brownstones, until I reached Nostrand. Finally another bus arrived, and I took it until it turned north on Washington. More walking continued, until I finally arrived at the coffee place I really like on Flatbush and Bergen. Time to pick the movie for tonight, I told myself, but at the same time, fatigue set in. Figured it was better just to head home and rest.
   And that is what I did. A long and fitful night---the usual conversations among the different parts of myself. Finally, the light arrived and the holiday was over.
  Tonight my friend Sarah is directing a reading at the Brick, will go, should be fun. Before that, I had asked Tyler, the campaign manager for Ede Fox, if I could do some data entry for him at her campaign headquarters, but do not want to risk getting tired, or being over exposed to the sun. Hate to cancel--cityboy never likes to go back on his word, but I think I will. Need to relax this afternoon, maybe even a visit to the Met (it is free) or something like that. Anyway, the blog is now over, will report tomorrow.