So, in my attempt to live up as much St. Louis as possible, I've found that most of the (real) movers and shakers have a very 30 year old vibe. What gives, are all the 20 somethings eating sushi in Clayton? What are we supposed to do with ourselves? I have a very good feeling that I do not want to eat sushi in Clayton with the 20 somethings. Go to france seems to be my answer. In the meantime, I am happy to party with my elders.
Maybe I see but don't see them b/c I can tell they wanna play quarters with me or something. Oh but I do not judge - try not to at least. I am enjoying my not-party-in-the-park with the yuppies summer -- quite a shift from my stint at ALIVE magazine. Not that one is better than the other, but there are different strokes for different folks (though I still wonder where all the funky but responsible 20 somethings go to die/disappear). I am reminded of when I was in high school and I'd drive down Cherokee or somewhere else b/c I got lost on my way to this or that and just dream of a greater st. louis -- the one of the past or of the future...and here I am older, and I'm at it again - trying to be an STL connosieur, and I am soakin' it up!
I would like to own all of Cherokee someday. I would especially like to own the Casa Loma Ballroom and really kick that into some culturally relevant dancing high gear (in addition to rehabbing it in time for my wedding reception to as-yet-unforseen fiance...mom and i decided that today in the Great Wedding Discussion over Eggs Benedict of 2006) ... its a legit ballroom, and because dancing is so important to the neighboring people, and to me -- could it be crafted into something totally relevant and singular? Tcha! How do I get it...?
I see all these businesses opening up - for better or for worse as far as their enterprising owners are concerned and I just gotta wonder, how!? Does it take the decade to figure it out? Yes? I looked at all the whartonites, like the ones who started Bubble Tea (so gross, but $$ and I guess it served the community) and insomnia cookies (I think its 50% wharton)...well what am I talking about I clearly need to call up my wharton buddies...are you reading wharton buddy? Would you like to talk business? You know you would!
With all this craziness going on in the world -- though I'm about to go an ocean closer to it in a month -- it seems like America needs to turn inward and fix what is fixable. Internationalism is important, but why does my alma mater have to be soooo focused on becoming an international university, altruistic across the world, when my buddy from Lafayette, LA tells me that houses in new orleans are still spray painted with warnings of dead bodies? I hope, in my Great European Tour of my 20s, that I will be able to gain some sort of perspective from the lives of others and bring that experience -- like my Penn street cred -- straight back to the Heartland, a place that set me free, and if I do come back, I truly was it's to begin with.
I remember my high school teacher, Mr. Teson, would gaze wistfully at me and say, "you're never coming back, are you Lori?" -- maybe he was wrong. I do not know, yet...I would like to get some fixin' happenin' in n'orleans, tho. Maybe I'm supposed to go there. Hm?
In other news, I now know an authentic St. Louis Shag from like the 30's. I'll have to post more about this later, b/c I feel very authentic about it all, and will be going on a teaching blitz probably starting a minute ago.
What is this blog for, if not to announce my love of the dance.
No comments:
Post a Comment