last night as i returned from work at 9pm, a freshly poured square of concrete sat drying in front of my building. i looked down at it and considered the nine years i've lived in this building here on diamond street and the urge to immortalize my initials overtook me. maybe a romantic gesture with my initials + jade's? it would be small and pretty. i stood there for a minute arguing with myself. what is a block of city sidewalk without initials scrawled in it?
ultimately, the goody-two-shoes in me won out and i went inside without dipping my finger or a stick in the concrete.
in the morning i was glad that i hadn't. five of the nine other residents of the building stood surrounding the fresh square of sidewalk, where the initials 'LL' had been scrawled quite large and not so beautifully. their hands were raised, their faces were long. they grumbled in polish and then in english, "people no good!"
i imagined how differently the scenario would have played out if the 'LL' had instead been an incriminating 'kjs + jt' and walked away relieved.
not sure what the moral is. do i think sidewalk engraving is a problem or an urban nuisance? no. do i want to make enemies of my neighbors for it? also no.
ultimately, the goody-two-shoes in me won out and i went inside without dipping my finger or a stick in the concrete.
in the morning i was glad that i hadn't. five of the nine other residents of the building stood surrounding the fresh square of sidewalk, where the initials 'LL' had been scrawled quite large and not so beautifully. their hands were raised, their faces were long. they grumbled in polish and then in english, "people no good!"
i imagined how differently the scenario would have played out if the 'LL' had instead been an incriminating 'kjs + jt' and walked away relieved.
not sure what the moral is. do i think sidewalk engraving is a problem or an urban nuisance? no. do i want to make enemies of my neighbors for it? also no.
