My Little Corner of the World

The Paul Simon Lyric du jour:

"All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."

-- from "The Boxer"

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A beautiful evening here in the bustling metropolis of Austin, Texas. I have just returned to my humble abode after an evening of imbibing a few beers at our "home away from home," the Crown & Anchor Pub, and, while I was walking home, reveling in the glow of good conversation and equally good beers, I silently gave thanks that I have been lucky enough to live in the best part of Austin.

My last living situation was radically different. When I lived in West Texas, I shared a house with my best friend. Small town Texas is about as far removed from living in Austin as one can get. For example, I could go to the post office, pay my water bill, and stop by at the bank in the timespan of listening to "Stairway to Heaven." Trust me--I've done it and I know it to be true. At most of the businesses I frequented, the employees, and sometimes the owner, knew me by name. At Hil's burgers, this even granted me special privileges, such as extra onion rings or a discounted burger. When I was employed at the coffee shop, I knew all of my "regulars" and their stories became woven into my own life.

In Austin, none of the above could happen. Running errands takes abundantly more time, mostly due to traffic and crowds. A trek to the HEB can take as long as 45 minutes if you go during peak shopping hours. But although living in "big city" can have its frustrations, the excitement is unparalleled. Tonight at the bar, I people watched and enjoyed seeing the extreme diversity--everyone from hippies to frat boys and sorority girls to nerds to lesbians to seminarians.

As the saying goes in the real estate biz: "Location is everything." My location here in Austin, is, in fact, everything, as the Crown is literally across the street from my apartment. In Canyon, Texas where I was previously located, city ordinances prohibited the sale of alcohol within city limits. So, if one was to drink, one had to drive 20 minutes to Amarillo to purchase alcohol, which meant, ultimately, that spontaneous drinking was out of the question. I am not much of a planner [IMFP on the Myers-Briggs], you can understand how living in a dry town was maddening.

My little of the corner of the world is also conveniently located to a coffee shop, a hip Brazilian restaurant, other various and sundry eateries, the UT campus, and, obviously, the Seminary. I am finally beginning to take root and I know that here, I shall flourish. So without further discourse, I shall now go to bed with a thankful and content heart...Cheers!