Musings about a fall day

I was walking downtown the other day. I had just visited my new friend Jim at my cell phone vendor. Jim is one of those guys that, like many artists, (He’s a chief) is doing what he has to do, so he can do what he wants to do. He’s cooking part time, and I’m guessing for little money, to help a young friend get her restaurant off the ground.

I know a lot of people in the same situation. It’s not that painters that work in bookstores side by side with writers, poet’s, and musicians don’t enjoy their work. Many times the job of clerk, bartender, receptionist or cook offers that leave it at the office kind of job and doesn't have the stress levels of many occupations that crush the creative spirit.

The street was a half-step into fall leaving summer in it’s wake of fallen leaves and balmy temperatures, but not so cool and dark that some of my sidewalk companions were still wearing flip flops and shorts.

My attitude was one of kind of contained joy. I had just returned from a visit with my grandson’s in LA. I was musing on the someday possibility that I might walk down this same street with them on either side of me and they would breath the same air of discovery that I do when I’m in the city. but rather than wonder about the solid historical statement the buildings around us make in the slightly graying skies, I would be able to share the secrets the sky-scratchiers in Milwaukee hold from those who only look and don’t ask.

Than I saw a group of students leaving the University classes held in the downtown mall. these guys were in their late thirties, but the books and conversation gave them away. they were talking about an instructor that they got to laugh with them for some reason I didn’t get.

The bus stop was crowded with a mixture of kids from school, shop girls, business types and me of course. I guess one of the reasons I like the bus is it takes me back to my youth in Cleveland when we rode these freedom wagons all over the city on our student bus pass. I was going to read on the bus, but I ended up people watching.

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