Pick-A-Day

July 2006
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Walking


Phallic Crossing

Originally uploaded by elmada.

Now that I’m living in Germany, I no longer own a car and I’ve become accustomed to either walking everywhere or taking public transportation.

Sadly, in Bloomington, public transportation is a fantasy, so I’ve resorted to a borrowed car to get me around town—to and from the office, to and from meetings, and everything else.

Today I decided to break that habit—I was meeting a friend over at Showplace East to see “Wordplay,” a film all about crossword puzzle fanatics featuring Will Shortz, an IU alumni. To get there, I walked. My friend who I was meeting was surprised.

Without specifying exactly where I am staying, I will say that I am about a mile from the movie theatre and that it’s not really that long of a walk. What it is, is uncomfortable. Not only was the shade spotty under the hot Indiana sun, but the sidewalks are also spotty—often veering uncomfortably close to the road—a road that has no curb.

Naturally I got to cross one of the busy streets that results from having a pedestrian unfriendly community—and I got to press the button seen above. I felt like a dirty old man.

I ended up enjoying my walk to the theater and the film that followed—it was neat seeing Jon Stewart, Bill Clinton, and others obsessed with the New York Times Crossword Puzzle. The film was engaging and amusing—and annoying—especially people who solve the puzzle in 2 minutes. The dedication of people to solving the puzzle and entering the annual contest was incredibly impressive.

Meanwhile, after the film was over, I got a lift home.

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