I need to write, as I haven’t for far too long. Sadly, I’ve nothing that gets my ire up enough to rant, so I am forced to plumb the depths of my somewhat docile existence for material. Today, the focus has to be the only thing I have done, rather unremarkable, but how else does one get started back into habit? I have had an insidious iPhone bestowed upon me, but alas, my many years of contacts had not transferred over in the first take so I needed to head to the AT&T store downtown to do so. I opted for walking as my neighborhood is nigh and I needed to burn some calories left over from late night sadness. The alarm was set to early and I began my trek. Curiously it took very little time, but I was bombarded with many an entertaining visual image that only walking can provide. It got me marinating on my time many moons ago in Chicago when I would walk anywhere and everywhere, often to bus or El and think nothing of it, other than the focus on the weather at the time. In winter the walk would be huddled and brisk, in summer, more of an amble. I opted for something between the two, and realized that it probably took me the same amount of time to get to the store, that it used to take me to get to the El from my neighborhood in Chicago. Being that close to a city center is curious, except downtown really isn’t your average city center. No thousands of people darting from point a to point b, instead, a smattering of people, waiting for buses, crossing the street and working construction. There is a great deal of construction on Michigan Avenue these days, and in traditional Detroit form, they don’t even bother with any sidewalk rerouting. Most cities will accommodate the foot traveler, not so much here. Instead, you are permitted to wander through construction sites or not, depending on your desire. No signage of instruction, no worrisome traffic cones to skirt around. One may merely plod through if they wish. It’s a strange walk, though pleasant as most folks are pleasant and happy to be out. The hub of energy around the Westin would be normal most places but looks fancy and interesting here in Detroit. It makes me miss the part of my life when I would spend loads of time in hotels. I love hotels, correction, I love nice hotels. I am not so much a fan of the shitty ones. Shifting from hotel life to couch surfing life has been an adjustment to be sure, but it also has its benefits.
The store wasn’t crowded and I tended to the phone business in just a couple of minutes prior to heading back. The return walk was fraught with a myriad of obstacles befitting the dullest of video games. Cross several streets as there is no direct route, pass by several construction workers holding breath, walk around dumptruck, and proceed to sand trap where a block of side walk used to be. I felt like Mario in the resting phase of an early version of Donkey Kong. The sand trap got me, as it also felt like being back on the beach. Two cities reminisced about in one walk. Jackpot. I continued up Michigan all the way to Astro for liquid reward. Sometimes when I walk in that place I feel like I am someplace all together different that the city in which I live. Today was one of those days, as I looked around at the people in there, working furiously on lap tops, or engrossed in conversation. Who are all these people? Do they actually live in the vicinity? Or traverse down from the suburbs to be part of the latest and greatest, a huge Detroit past time. I swear some where far to polished and attractive to be from the midwest. The stench of LA is upon us, there can be no turning back now.
