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June 01, 2005
"Back east."
Is the phrase perjorative? Judgemental? Condescending?
A friend who lives in one of the five boroughs scoffed last week when I prefaced a sentence with, "when I lived back east..."
"'Back east?' What is that supposed to mean?"
She wasn't really mad, but she was a little mad, if you get my drift.
I should have asked her exactly why the turn of phrase was remarkable. Maybe she thought I implied a natural progression westward -- that those of us on the shaky end of this continent are just a whit more special than those behind who live on the other seaboard. For many who live out west, the difference is only about as significant as whether one is watching SNL on a seven-second or a three-hour delay.
I don't believe that, though I do think most of us out here are a little more in touch with nature. We can see it during our commutes and from our office windows. Growing up on Long Island, I don't recall a single "spare the air" day or a smog advisory. Out here, that's a story that might lead the morning news. Sure, the air's better in Dix Hills than Beverly Hills, but you can't see the ocean.
New York dazzles me because it was built by people, one girder at a time. I find San Francisco awesome because every block reminds me that I'm in an urban center surrounded by breathtaking natural splendor. Even the shitty neighborhoods have nice views.
I moved to California for a job that evaporated soon afterwards. I wavered a while about returning to the Northeast, but I'd consider the perquisites of California -- farmer's markets, Dungeness crab with garlic noodles, and fresh avocados and Myer Lemons -- and all thoughts of returning to my points of origin would vanish.
Hmm. That was all food, I just realized.
For good measure, I'll throw in the dramatic reveal of the Golden Gate Bridge as you emerge from the Waldo Tunnel in Marin, the stinky-ass seals of Fisherman's Wharf and sunset at Ocean Beach.
I'm not saying it's better. It's just better for me. I do miss fireflies, however.
Posted by Your Protagonist at June 1, 2005 10:45 PM