I rolled down the hill from my house the other day on my bike and encountered the grand opening of ‘One Another Cafe’ in the church parking lot. It was a positive happening: parents with their kids, local neighbors gathered round, the friendly baristas inside the trailer ready to take my order and the sun just beginning to rise through a cloudy sky.
It was so pleasant and positive that I wondered how many other positive happenings might be happening here and there across my fair city. Probably alot. I decided to write about it.
The Charis sisters, Jess and Taylor, were there with their balloons. Well they’re not actually sisters but they’re totally positive. They activate and inspire many positive happenings in the neighborhood actually.
The strawberry girl was there with her beautiful blonde hair and fresh strawberries from Poteet. I forgot her name of course but she was totally positive.
Red and sweet with green stems. They were a big hit with the kids.
The gnarly oak tree stood nearby. It’s been pruned alot that’s probably why it’s so gnarly. I like it alot.
On the other side of the parking lot its mate is flourishing.
I rolled on towards the downtown and cut through Brackenridge Park. The sound of laughter caught my ear and I followed it. There was a birthday party happening alongside the river. One very happy girl with all her sisters shining on.
I stopped and talked to them, got permission to take their picture. They were laughing, having a good time so good I took their picture twice.
Thank you.
The fountains at the Pearl were spurting forth streams of water, delighting the children. They jumped in and out, got wet, screamed. A very positive happening in my opinion.
Joy and glee, afraid to get wet and then jumping in. If the kids are happy then we will be in good hands. That’s my conclusion. They will grow up to be capable, strong adults, positive and affirmative and having fun. That’s what I think. Fountains and sandboxes in public places! That would be my issue if I had an issue.
Got the forms set and pouring concrete. It’s a good feeling along the San Pedro Culture Park.
I watched them for awhile. Waved. Tried to identify their ethnicity. If they were Hispanic I might attempt a joke. They were. But they were too busy, they were in the middle of a pour. Creating new sidewalks and flat smooth places for me to ride my bike. I blessed them. They blessed me. It was a positive happening with concrete.
“This is a beautiful place” I say to a guy in a wheelchair farther down the Culture Park.
”Yeah” he says.
”Peaceful” I say.
”Very beautiful” and I pass by. Didn’t fall in the river or anything.
The old Cactus Hotel sign is still visible downtown on Flores Street. But who would want to sleep on a cactus?
Palm Sunday at the San Fernando Cathedral.
Everybody getting their palm leaves ready to wave at Jesus as he rides by on a donkey. What a beautiful celebration. And it’s Spring. Everything is sort of fresh and welcoming. I feel welcomed.
I wonder what Jesus would do if he saw this guy, a few blocks away. Not a positive happening.
I can’t tell if he’s sleeping with his head on the curb or if he’s raising his head to look over at me. He didn’t say anything or give me a signal. I didn’t say anything to him. Jesus would have walked over there and said, “Hey brother are you ok?” That’s what Jesus would have done. I’m pretty sure.
Me and Fern, my coachsurfing house guest . . .
. . . sharing the cafe experience the next day and bike riding. Positively positive.
Adventuring and exploring. Rolling free, wherever the winds blow. Down along the Culture Park . . .
. . . the native woman with a picture of her house on her blouse and the arrowhead necklace. An amazing mural. She’s surrounded by the artifacts of her culture: pumpkin, iguana, flowers and fish, a rabbit, several rabbits, all costumed in their natural dress as the natives would have seen them possibly.
And reflected in the water.
A tiny flower growing out of the wall along the creek.
Somehow a tiny seed floated in there, found a niche, a crevice, a crack where it could sprout and grow, flower even. And it did. It fulfilled its full potential. Kissed by the wall, the crazy wall. Positively happening.
Positive happenings, I finally realized, were happening everywhere if I was alert enough to spot them. Each pedal stroke and each breath of life are positive happenings if I can focus down to enough detail to see them. Each splash of light on the screen of my brain is a positive happening. I believe everything may be a positive happening and a fortuitous event because it is happening.
I mean can you entertain the notion of not existing? What would that be like? Nothing. It would be like nothing and no thing happening. Puts it in perspective, right? Every happening is a positive development because it’s happening. Because we exist we are happening and because we are happening we exist. It’s a good deal. It’s alot more than I bargained for.
We rode around downtown until we were tired and thirsty and beat and hot, partially sunburned, then we headed back. Up river and into the hills we went until we found ourselves back home again. Back where we started from. I jumped in the pool. What a positive happening that was.
music :: Marc Hartman - Crystal Sea
positive happenings around town