POND WATER

BECAUSE I WASN'T TOO SURE...


...that I provided the right link for Hannah's wonderful blog, here it is. Ah, to be young again with the world spooling out in long, loping tangles before you. I remember how that felt, how excited I was to go out into the world and see what kind of adventures I'd have.


A trip to the Yukon and to Fiji, and I will be done. Not sure if I will be able to hand a plane flight of that magnitude to do the South Pacific, but I would suck it up to go and see if I can find Dave & Doug!!


Woke up with an ambitious agenda planned. Wanted to get a new state ID, handle my business at the CAYMC and be done with the biggest thing on my agenda. Didn't work out that way and I do feel good that I was able to get my ID card done.


The problem arose when I wandered to Secretary of State office near the Cobo Center. It was shuttered last month. Since the reason it was first on the agenda was because without it, everything else would potentially be in a fail status, I decided to trudge around and figure out how I could get what I needed done for a bit. Tallied ho'd to the CAYMC for a briefing on what I would need and then went up the street and caught a bus into Highland Park, where there was supposedly an office, according to the notice on the door of the SOS downtown.


I didn't see the Chris Hanson show last Sunday about the decline of Motown, but the reviews of it in the Freep said it was fair. So that is what I am going to say about that. One of the reasons is that there is an energy in the youth of the city and I can imagine that plays a big part in stoking Alaina's passions for what she does.


Talking about that is jumping the gun, a little. Going into HP was a little bit of a 'journey into mystery', because I couldn't picture in my head where I was going or what it would look like. Boarding the Woodward bus, I tried to catch the addresses of the storefronts as I passed, to keep me calm and from throwing up my hands and giving in to the formations of clouds building inside of me.


Got off a few blocks before a strip area and expected to find the office, but was stunned to discover that the was none. I know that there had to be budget cuts, but how was the residents of HP being served? Where did they go in order to handle their needs with license renewals, tags and the like?


Went into a Boost Mobile store and they confirmed that I had the right address, but I verified on sight inspection that it was not there. Dag!!


The Woodward bus runs pretty frequently, so I took it back to where I came from. Throughout my travels I had avoided making small talk, not out of any worries, because people had such a high mood. I enjoyed that and wanted to bask in it as I struggled with my day.


However, the situ with the SOS offices did cause me to crack a bit. I spoke to a woman who was boarding the bus that I didn't know how folks around here manage without an office nearby. She was having the same kind of day I was, having only came from the closed office downtown. Mentioning that there was an office in the New Center area near the Henry Ford Hospital, I figured I would tag along with her. The bus route that serves that area of Detroit, the Dexter series, run pretty frequently as well, so I decided to go on and hop that ride... besides, the lady had an idea of where she was going.


Debussing at Grand Blvd., we start off east. She then took it upon herself to ask a nearby parking lot attendant where the office was. He pointed behind us, and it was a good thing she chose to ask him. I was growing tired from all the walking I had done, from bus stop to bus stop, as well as walking around downtown. Did my time (is it just me, or does every trip to the SOS feel like waiting to hear a sentence in traffic court?) and it actually wasn't long or painful.


Crossed the street and ambled another block to wait for another Dexter bus heading for the Northland Mall. There is a Target there and I wanted to pick up a few things. At the stop there were three high school boys, seniors, who were discussing what was up for them after graduation. One was set for Eastern Michigan and the second had a plan that included two years of junior college and a transfer to State. The third was more uncertain what was in his next step was, but he was sure it included school somewhere. No lecture or advice, because I believe a key part of success that is often overlooked is simply having inspiration. He felt something was going to eventually lead him to college... and that would have to do for him now.


Had not a problem with my shopping... in and out. Waiting for the #46 bus to take me home is always a tooth pull and this wait would be no exception. Overhearing a conversation about the state of the city and its politics, how corrupt it is has been, and why some of the cuts apparently enacted by Mayor Bing has affected the city, I thought about where I would like to go next.

But before I go there, I will need to go home and get some rest. Tomorrow we will be doing this all over again and I hope my aim is a lot truer.