Travel writers, "life
coaches" and similar blowhards think we should be seeking out
"peak experiences" and storing them on our mental hard drives,
so that we can contemplate them at leisure and bore our friends with
them. These tend to be things like climbing Machu Picchu, or watching
the sunrise from a sweat lodge, or something. But for me, the things
that persist on my hard drive are stupid stuff that struck my
perpetual-adolescent sense of humor just right, and made me crack up.
For example . . .
On the Fourth of July,
1976, some friends and I took the Metro down to the National Mall to
see the Bicentennial fireworks. When we left to return home, we found
the Metro station absolutely clogged with people. Predictable, but it
hadn't occurred to us to plan for it. So there we were, tired, sweaty
and really wanting to be home, on the lower level of the Metro Center
station, surrounded by the unmoving crowd.
We needed to get to the
upper level to catch a Red Line train. Power to the escalators had
been shut off; the platform above, and the escalator, were jammed,
and there was movement only when a train stopped above and hauled off
a few carloads of people.
The heavy load on the
escalator was causing its steps to move gradually downward, so that
every half-minute or so the people on it had to take a step upward.
That would make the steps sink a little faster, and so on. Eventually, the mass
on the escalator were slowly and grimly marching in place, going nowhere, as if on a treadmill. It was like a vision of Hell, or a scene from a dystopian,
futuristic 1920s silent movie. I was delighted. For the rest of the
long trip home I had a big grin on my face.
It's not Machu Picchu, but
I still smile whenever I think of it. And now and then bore my
friends with it.
5 comments:
I know people who have been to Machu Picchu, I have not visited there, nor will I, unless they drag it over to my house.
In 1996 I stayed at the Tokyo Hilton which is in Shinjuku, the most heavily traveled conglomerate of rail, subway and bus stations in the world. There during rush hour I saw long lines of Japanese walking along long hallways going from one part of the terminal to another. They walked along in silence. It was creepy. To me they all looked alike - all short, black hair, drab clothing and it wasn't until years later when I watched Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" that I realized just what I had witnessed. Creepy AF!
Back in the mid to late '80s I was walking along the National Mall going from the Air In Space museum to the History and Technology museum when I saw Mike Wallace's retarded son walking towards us. I recognized him from the teevee, and all I can say is, if there was justice in this world he would have been found floating face down in the Tidal Pool this morning.
That is why I don't write about politics - I carry a lot of hatred towards those who would destroy this nation.
The only reason we have debates is so that the media can continue to pretend to be relevant. They run the show! They are the deciders!! They know who won!
nah, no they don't. It's all an act.
Plus, no one is voting for best debater or Person The Mod Likes Best.
Chris Wallace is and always has been a slippery little hack. He's the product of and an extension of the Derp State and will always protect the source of his otherwise inexplicable success. Family first!
It's a no-win situation going in. If you're a good debater they'll just lie about something you said or trip you up with lies as they did to Romney. Or just flat out lie about who won the debate as they did to Sarah Palin when she beat Biden's flabby ass in the VP debate. Republicans are not supposed to win and the best a Republican candidate can hope to do is to really show up how tilted the playing field is, how the "moderator" is not really "moderate" or "moderating."
So, mission accomplished.
The "bucket list" peak experience phenomenon also creep me out and irritates me. Things to do before you die.
I always wonder who buys a "bucket list" book for someone they truly like or love.
It's really a cruel sentiment when you think about it. If you don't visit X, your life will have less meaning. (Gee, thanks, budddy!)
I once saw the Pope. I was visiting Rome and went to Vatican City and there was a big crowd so I joined in and milled around with the rest of the sinners and JP came out on a balcony and made blessing movements. I was pretty far away so I didn't see much or hear much, and it was in Italian, and my head was on swivel for pickpockets. It's not the peak experience stand-out memory from that trip. But I sawr eem! Check that off.
"See Naples then die" always seemed like an order rather than a bucket list item. My bucket list currently consists of making it to the bucket in a timely fashion. I am a simple person.
Machu Picchu is on Google StreetView. save you the trip.
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