The World is Conspiring in my Favor

Posted on June 25, 2010

Last week, I had one of those perfectly perfect San Francisco days. I made plans with some of my girlfriends to meet in Hayes Valley at Patricia’s Green, the park that sits at the end of the new Octavia off-ramp. A few days earlier, I became enchanted when the 21 Hayes took my by the park on my way to Swankety Swank, so I invited my friends to meet me there with their babies. Patricia’s Green is named for Patricia Walkup, a deceased community activist who’s work in collaboration with other activists helped bring down the Central Freeway that divided Hayes Valley for over 10 years. Patricia’s Green is a testimony to the power of citizen activism. Currently towering over the park is a massive, 30 foot salvaged-metal sculpture by Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito, “Ecstasy.” While I don’t know how much other park-goers know about its raison d’être, I felt a sense of community there, I felt the love and effort that went into creating this space for people to enjoy with their friends, families, pets and neighbors. As for us, after gossiping and chasing the kids around, we needed something snack on. Luckily, La Boulange de Hayes is right across the street. Everything at La Boulange is amazing, and it’s loud enough to drown out any screams from the kiddies. After we finished, we did some window shopping along Hayes Street. I’ve heard the saying “the world is conspiring in my favor,” and I truly felt that way on this day. From the beautiful water bowel at Cotton Sheep, the fresh loveliness of Birch, to the stop and enjoy the day hand-painted bench in front of lavish, everywhere I looked I found beauty. As my son and I made our way home, we continued to see special and magical moments. City Hall was reflected over and over again in the War Memorial Opera House, we came across a man orchestrating pigeons in an alley in the Tenderloin, and finally, my son squealed with delight as we came closer to home and found hundreds of bubbles cascading onto O’Farrell street from a bubble gun being sold at a local store. What a pleasure to hear people of all ages exclaiming “Look at all the bubbles!!!”