Walk With Me
We all know the east coast has been having a Bizzaro(tm) summer, with the dog days of August officially renamed the penguin days of August. Today was in the high 70s with low humidity, so the Greek text dropped to the floor and I was off for a walk.
The neighborhood adjoining our apartment complex is an older, upper-middle class suburb. Most of the homes look like the one pictured here, built castle-like from local stone.
In these both-spouses-employed days we live in, suburban neighborhoods are eerily quiet on weekday afternoons. Science-fiction-after-the-nuclear-war eery. When do these people actually live on their golf-course perfect lawns? Still, it makes for a peaceful walk.
So nice to see houses that each have a distinct character, so different from today’s McMansion ‘burbs. And sidewalks! I thought those went with Leave It to Beaver. (Remember? On the outside shots of the Cleaver’s home–which would fit right into this neighborhood–there were always businessmen in hats and ladies with gloves parading busily by on the sidewalk.)
Part of the purpose of my walk was to time how long it takes to cross the neighborhood to the anchorages of modern American life. Results?
I think I love this place. Can’t wait unitl those walks are shared by the one who’s walked with me for 27 years!
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August 17th, 2004 at 6:19 pm
“let’s kick off our shoes, and wade through the night…”
August 17th, 2004 at 6:22 pm
Now that we could’ve done last Friday when the hurricane rains filled the streets!
August 17th, 2004 at 8:06 pm
You don’t need wetness to wade through the night…
Just a fine lady…and some shoes…and some jeans to hike up.
Okay…so water does help….but it’s not ESSENTIAL.
August 17th, 2004 at 8:31 pm
Yes….but the “fine lady” IS essential, and she’s in Maine
August 17th, 2004 at 9:20 pm
awww….poor sage.
she get’s a free night in maine…you get a long night in pennsylvania.
i’m gonna keep bringin’ the wertz quotes….because i can
August 17th, 2004 at 9:29 pm
and now, thanks to you, I can here the music in my head when you bring those quotes!
BTW…I’m digging me some Pete Schmidt right now. Has a kind of John Mayer vibe I think.
August 18th, 2004 at 8:35 am
You think sidewalks are antiquated? They are everywhere around here! Or were you only talking about specific kinds…?
August 18th, 2004 at 1:09 pm
In my experience, most modern suburbs are not designed for pedestrians. Unlike where I live now, in the McBurbs there are often no sidewalks because nobody walks anywhere…and nobody walks because there is nothing to walk to. All the shopping is on busy main arteries that are designed for cars only, and usually too far away to walk.
Charlottesville was an example of that. Most of the main shopping is confined to “29 North,” an eight lane monster. Few of the intersections have crosswalks, and those that do are still very dangerous (turning traffic). Karyn and I defeated that somewhat by finding backroads we could bicycle on that reached many of those stores from behind.
August 18th, 2004 at 1:09 pm
You know, Sage…every time you talk about studying Greek, I get a jealous pit in my stomach.
I went through Bethel Seminary during a short window of time when they were allowing an “English-only” track, and since I was working full-time and didn’t have access to the Greek classes, I took the English track.
I wish I had a summer to throw myself into Greek. What a privilege. I pray God blesses you during this time. You’re motivating me to get back to my self-taught Greek program - which is slow going, at best.
August 18th, 2004 at 1:17 pm
Self-taught biblical languages are self-defeating, at least for you and me! I tried it several times with both Hebrew and Greek, but was forced to admit that I need the discipline (and deadlines!) of a classroom.
I would so encourage you to get some Greek at some point. We’ve only just begun and the exegetical insights my prof is able to share with us already are worth the price of admission.
August 18th, 2004 at 3:45 pm
Sage, that Pete Schmidt bootleg is AWESOME! I love his version of “Fast Car”