Crowded Streets. Angry drivers. AM Conservative radio stations. McDonald's and KFC. Asphalt, and cars slamming their brakes so a boy can ride his bike across the street. Cigarette butts. Empty 40 oz bottles on the corner of MLK and 40th St. Ambulance sirens, wailing way too loudly in your rear view mirror. Panhandling, like its your job, because someone calls that a job. Shopping carts overloaded with aluminum cans and glass bottles. Chevron, Shell, BP, Arco, Quik stops. Broken car windows. Garbage trucks and taxis. City Buses. Muni. BART. Commuting to work. 9-5. Monday through Friday. Overtime. Meetings. Conferences. Business Trips. Hospitals. Do people really like living in cities? Going to see live music, eating at restaurants and going bowling at night are all fun things to do...but so is making a big fire, roasting some marshmallows and falling asleep smelling of camp fire.
I spent last weekend in Yosemite with some of my friends from the past, and was reminded of all the reasons why I don't like going to work everyday, why I don't like living in city, even though Berkeley is as low key as they come. I remembered how easy it used to be to ride my bike everywhere when I was a kid, but now it is just as easy to drive my car, fill up my gas tank, pay the bridge toll, pay my parking tickets, pay my car insurance. I was reminded of how beautiful and refreshing it is to go to sleep under the stars and wake up to the first rays of 6 am sunlight. How good does it feel to jump in an icey cold river at 7 am rather than stand under a piercing hot shower head at 7:30, followed by sitting in front of a computer for the next 5 or 6 hours, maybe find some time to eat a small sandwich, and definitely make time for 2 or 3 meetings here and there throughout the week. yuck!
Life is far from bad for me right now, in fact it is going great. However, spending time in the woods with my friends is such a simple and satifying lifestyle, it often leaves me wondering what it would be like to pack my bags and be a little more free a lot more often...
Danny B in the EAST Bay
2 comments:
Don't forget about what goes on in Africa, all sorts of alligators right by the river side that will eat your heart. Be sure to bring two pairs of socks.
Maybe that should be the next Moishe House: Moishe House Nomads. A backpacking Moishe House that travels and does cool Jewish spiritual naturey stuff on the road -- I mean, trail.
Not a bad idea... sign me up. ;)
Perhaps we can find a spot for a nice campfire and some outdoor shmoozin' the Sat. night of our retreat in L.A.?
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