Tag Archives: parking

The Road to Diamond, Day 187: Detached

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Posted by on in collaborating, Community, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

June 3, 2025- The little card acknowledged what I myself realized, upon returning to Sportage, after exercising and picking up a couple of Tuesday Tacos at El Gordo: “You’re parked like an idiot”. The “gentle reminder” card, inserted by private security in various parking lots around the country, uses mildly caustic humour to help usually conscientious drivers remember that there is no holiday from courtesy. So, going forward, I am reminded to take the time to park properly-just as I remind myself to brush my teeth twice a day, make sure my shoes are tied and stay hydrated.

Age brings either heightened irritation with oneself and/or the doings of others, or a knowing acceptance of those behaviours and events that, in and of themselves, do no harm to self and others. Parking hurriedly, in a largely empty lot, is one of those one-offs that I can accept from myself-or from someone else, once in a blue moon. We all get tired, need to refocus and regroup, every so often.

Making decisions that immediately affect other people is another matter. “Big picture” folks often miss that aspect. Large scale decisions, from public budgeting to long-term construction projects cannot go without a reasonable (30-60 day) period of public input. Conversely, the public would do well to exercise the right to give input on these matters, by first looking at the proposal, then taking time to consider various ways in which an individual, her/his family and community will be affected-both short and long-term. The person then will be able to offer input, in a meaningful way.

Institutions, like their individual members, can get tired and need time to refresh and regroup. It is best that this is done from within-as revolutions, being often emotion-driven solutions of last resort, tend to overlook the small, but necessary, cogs and wheels that made the institution effective in the first place. This is one lesson I drew from study of the French and Russian Revolutions. Our own, having been more measured, has lasted longer, precisely because of the processes of amendment and regular public input.

It helps both individuals and institutions to remain emotionally detached from criticism, thus being open to what the critic is actually trying to convey.

Lightness Is

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Posted by on in Community, Hiking and Nature, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Travel

January 12, 2019, Flagstaff-

I set out for this mountain community, which was my home in 1980-81, with a view towards determining the level of untended littering in one National Monument:  Sunset Crater, during the ever-longer government shutdown. As we’ll see, the amount was rather light.

The day started with my feeling weighted down, by what, I still have no idea.  My mood was lifted, though, by meeting a delightful little family from Dharma Farm, a place of which I’ve written in the past, whilst making my usual rounds  at Prescott Farmers Market.  I will re-visit Dharma more often, during the remainder of winter and into spring.  Their commitment to permaculture is something of which I want to learn more, prior to any post-retirement move I might make.  Permaculture will be described further, in subsequent posts, as well.

Back to Flagstaff, and Sunset Crater.  I found few other people visiting the park.  Three tourists did drive past the semi-porous barricades and further into the park.  As it happens, a Federal park ranger is on site and drove into the area, quickly sending the visitors back the way they came.  Only a Dineh man, with grandfathered visiting rights to any area of Sunset Crater and nearby Wupatki (some park lands were purchased, by eminent domain, from a handful of Dineh (Navajo) families), in the 1930’s), was allowed to drive his truck behind the barricades.

I  went on foot, for about a mile, into the park and found little trash along the road-and none on the trail I took.  There were some lovely views, though.

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

After it was apparent that my mission did not warrant further exploration of the park, especially with the ranger working without pay, I headed back into town, and parked in a formerly free lot.  Flagstaff has taken a page from other tourist-dependent communities, and charges $1 per hour to park along downtown streets or in its off-street lots.  I find this reasonable, though some visitors grumbled that there are not “freshly-paved” streets that would “warrant” such a charge.  Go figure.

I found the usually congenial folks at Pizzicleta, an artisan thin-crust eatery, to be a bit grumpy and unusually reserved.  One of the servers mentioned how tired they were, though the place had barely been open for twenty minutes.  Maybe it is the preparation that is enervating.  The food was still great, though, which is what matters most.

Now, it’s time to head to Winslow, an hour to the east, and find a spot at my favourite motel there.  Tomorrow, I hope to head up to the Hopi Nation, to visit long-time friends.  The Bean Dance is coming.