Walking through the streets of San Francisco today I had this sense of belonging that I don't often feel other places, even in the city where I was born and have lived most of my life. It sounds corny, but among other things, I really enjoy the vibe here. To me, this is the city of acceptance. Sure, the dewy air that relieves the almost constant irritation of my right nostril that I experience in the desert is nice, but it is more than that or the soft curls I get in my hair or the great art and food available everywhere. This is a loving place. As I sought out a place to buy a jump drive and a place to print a document I stored on it and then send a fax and then buy a cell phone, etc., I loved that I did it all on foot. This notion of not needing a car every day is wondrous to me and feels right, so much more like I imagine we humans are meant to live. A revelation hit me that I have NEVER experienced before; I like walking when there is a purpose to it. As a kid I had a mysterious and painful ailment in one of my feet and my mother was very protective of me. I didn't walk to places like the other kids did, I got rides. When it turned out to be a vascular issue she was terrified I'd have a fatal blood clot and the protection continued. When I joined the Army I had a special waiver to "protect" me from the physical rigors. As pointed out by blogger James Garcia over at Surprisingly Functional those things that we decide about ourselves when we're young, like that we are a finicky eater or we hate sports or we don't like to walk, or we don't have a green thumb, are amazingly insidious. Makes me want to really evaluate the beliefs I have about myself and, like my excess vases and markers and jeans, get rid of the ones I don't need or want or absolutely love.
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I know what you mean about SF--I, too, have always felt like I "belonged" there! You can be anyone you want, do anything you wish, dream any dream--and it all will be met with total support & acceptance. I, too, have the desert dryness thing & love the fog, when everyday things become mysterious and wondrous. And tho SF is a "big city", it is really many small, intimate, cohesive neighborhoods all thriving in harmony, side by side. It's a good lesson I wish the rest of the world could learn. Enjoy the good vibrations while you're there!
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