The Portland Register
(Susan and Ariana, modelling their amazing new knickers)
I went to Portland again last weekend…. I guess it’s just what I do these days. I was there to register what it might be like to actually live there. Just to consider it. This is what registered:
1. The River- Living in a place where I can swim is very important to me. So we went to the Sandy river, which is a drive, but not too long of a drive, and we found some good spots to swim. The 3 dollar park has lots of weird things, like beer bottles and slushee containers and chips dumped into the sand, but also a big sandy island and spots to swim in the wide open river. It was fun to be there with the kids. They chased ants with rocks and I screamed in the cold water as the sun slowly set.
2. On Saturday night I sat in Ariana’s living room and did projects with Ariana and Mirah. We each did our own thing, talked through things, worked side by side. I was in deep peaceful heaven. Not that the conversations were particularly easy or cheerful, not that the projects were monumental- no, it was the simple fact that we were together, even in the struggle, even in the irritation. We were together. That is a pretty convincing argument to be in a place, to have your bests around you.
3. Sunday AM, riding the bus out to Gresham, I read a zine/book this guy wrote about substitute teaching, which I could totally relate to, and laughed to myself. Had brunch with parts of my family, then walked through the Chinese Garden with my dad and my sister. Amazing- It’s so nice to have my family closer to me. distance eliminated is distance eliminated, in more than one way.
4. Walking to town, walking by the water, walking down the bike path… I kept noticing that things were both so vivid and lush, as well as sort of filthy and loud. A city is a city- the trees are established, the jobs exist, and there are 100’s of thousands of other people directly around. This is both good and bad. They create beauty, they create waste.
I accomplished what I wanted by going to Portland- I spent the weekend there, just paying attention. Portland, registered.
