city s'mores

 

 

Full disclosure:  I got this idea from Tom, who did it first.  It is such a damn good idea though, I couldn't resist.  We went to The Camp, which is a little outdoor mall in Costa Mesa, and roasted marshmallows over the decorative fire.  Our friends Vanessa and Abigail joined us, and we all had great fun.  I started the evening pretty stressed out, and somehow the fake fire, fake coals, and piped-in nature sounds had this really soothing effect and I chilled right out.  Also, everybody who passed by seemed utterly delighted by the whole thing.

Badass inspiration

 This is a photograph of Jane Fonda taken by Dennis Hopper

Mason Park tunnel

In Mason Park there are drain tunnels and they are big enough to walk up and explore. The whole thing is spooky, but there is something good about the simplicity of walking down a long tunnel. 

When it is all dark, nothing looks prettier than a little bit of light filtering down from a manhole cover.  One reassuring thing is that after you walk for a while, you start to come across traces left by other people. Goofy drawings and really crappy graffiti prevail.                   

 

 

piles of stones in Zion

I visited Zion National Park on a road trip with Tom a few years ago.  It is one of the most stunning places I have ever been in my life, and I still think about it all the time.  Before I went there I thought the name was kind of corny, but when I was there I understood- there is something sacred about that place.

We found this place along a trail.  The view was breathtaking, and people had left hundreds of little piles of rocks.  Tom had lived in Japan, and knew this was a common thing to do there.  I can't figure out the name for it (if there is one) but it comes from the Shinto religion.  The best description I found of this ritual (in my 5 minutes of internet research) is: "small stones will be piled up to indicate a place where the sacred space touches on everyday space." 

I feel like I heard somewhere that spirits are supposed to live in the little piles, but that sounds too much like a scene from a Hiyao Miyazaki cartoon movie- it is too adorable to be true, so I think I made it up.

The thing I love about it is how all the different people who visit this place on their own collectively express a sentiment of wonder and awe- the stones say "take a look, that is goddamn BEAUTIFUL" and making a new pile says "hell yes it is!"  I would like it if more people did this, to express appreciation and awe of little places they see around.  It would remind everyone to stop and check out the neat shit all around us, and remind us that all the other people are also just looking for something beautiful.