Passing through

[pjthompson]

A cloudy gray day down near the beach, temperatures in the sixties.

At the corner of Pacific and Main a girl with dark hair piled atop her head, in a loose halter top and skintight yoga pants, jogs in place waiting for the light to change. Her boobs bounce boobily. The second the light changes, she shoots across the intersection. A car waiting to make a left turns in front of her. She indignantly pounds on the cab as he passes. He doesn’t notice, keeps on going, and so does she, bouncing across the street while those who had been on the corner with her follow at a more leisurely pace.

Just as the pedestrian light starts to blink red, a ragged man in cammo jacket, shorts, bare feet, and humping a backpack steps into the crosswalk and limps slowly across. About halfway the light changes and he picks up the pace of his limping, waving at those of us in the cars not to run him down. We wait until he makes it to the curb and go on our way.

At the corner of Bay and Main, a portly middle-aged man in T-shirt and shorts strides into the crosswalk from Dogtown Coffee. He balances two large coffees on top of one another, a cigarette stuck between his fingers levitating above their lids.

At Vicente Terrace, a girl hastens purposefully up the street carrying a large yellow plastic bag, three giant poster boards under her arm festooned with lettering and sparkles while Elbow sings, “It’s all gonna be magnificent, she says…”

Just another Thursday morning, ordinary but unique, ephemeral, gone forevermore.

Mirrored from Better Than Dead.

Comments

[sartorias]

I miss Venice! It used to be like my own private theater, when I'd wheel out my bike and ride up to Santa Monica, then down to the Marina, and back again.

[pjthompson]

I miss it, too. I'm just driving through it these days on my way to and from work. It still retains some of its funky eclecticism but the residents are having to fight hard to maintain that wonderful spirit, what with developers and Silicon Beach. Alas.

[sartorias]

Oh, argh.

[lizziebelle]

Great descriptions. I need to go do some people-watching.

[pjthompson]

Thanks. It's immense fun. My people-watching facility is just coming back on line. My psyche is waking up, I think.

[kmkibble75]

I love these moments of yours.

[pjthompson]

Thanks, dude.

Check out Down Portalville Way while you're at it.