dibson.net » walk

Buckeye Arizona Morning

Dibson — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:21:58 +0000

March 21, 2010 – Buckeye, Arizona

I wake up in a smelly motel room. Time to talk awake, and take a walk. I start on the sidewalk.

Then I take to the road. My destination, a big statue, stands 40 feet tall in the distance.

Walk walk walk.

Stand proud, giant hobo. I wonder who would have put the fellow here.

A plaque sits on the hobo’s pedestal…

… and leaves me more confused. It reads:

Hobo Joe
Built by and
stands in memory of
Marvin Ransdale
(1928-1988)
by
his good friend
Ramon Gillum
July, 1989

Did Marvin build it in his own memory? Did Ramon build it for Marvin? Perhaps they build it together, but come July, 1989 only Ramon was around to remember Marvin’s contribution? I’m not sure.

But the hobo lives near a meat processing plant.

I begin looping back to the hotel, and meet an owl guide.

He reveals to me the mysteries of waste and tools left out by citizens of Buckeye.

Done with waste, I continue with the drive thru to the motel.

Day in DUMBO

Dibson — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:23:23 +0000

Today I have a 10:15 am doctor’s appointment in Brooklyn Heights. I wake up a little later than I’d intended, so I have a quick breakfast and hop on the bus. It snowed this morning; water runs vertically on the bus windows.

On New Jersey highways, while driving 65+ MPH, the water drops run at a more horizontal angle. Not so on a stop-and-go city bus.

After the doctor’s appointment, which was a check-up, which is to say I got nothing out of it, I walk through Cadman Plaza. Bare trees abound. They catch my attention a lot these days.

On the train home later today, I’ll read the following sentence in Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek:

My mind branches and shoots like a tree.

I will think about how the trees catch my attention, and know that this is why.

But that will happen later. Right now I’m walking towards the train so that I can read the sentence. On Jay Street I pass by the altar for the dead dog.

The altar has been there for at least a year, probably several. It’s always made me happy because it’s an expression of love for an animal companion and because no one has been sick enough to destroy it. I also really like the objects devoted to the puppy. I wonder what stories each of them holds.

I board the train, and continue reading.

Midtown

Dibson — Fri, 03 Jun 2005 22:32:38 +0000

I like walking in midtown Manhattan when it’s dark outside. Two summer’s ago I would walk from Sidewalk Cafe to Penn Station every Monday night/Tuesday morning around 4am. It was always very calm, and it reminded me of scenes from movies about a rundown New York City. Dark, dirty, and generally unpleasant.

But the walk was always a good way to finish out a long day. Two nights ago I walked to Union Square from the Penn Station area, around 10:30pm. The only real difference at this time is that there are more people out. I saw a homeless man sitting on the street, and he asked for change. When I told him "sorry, not tonight" I looked him in the eyes, which was out of the ordinary for me, and smiling he said "that’s alright, god bless you."

Walking! What a pleasant activity.