The phrase popped into my head, in Roberta Flack’s voice, and hunkered down, becoming a solid earworm. “The first time ever I saw this place.” It seemed like a good title for a Three-fer but for the life of me, I couldn’t nail down what we should write about to fit the title. So, rather than doling out an assignment, I decided to toss out the title and let these girls do with it what they would.
This week’s guest writer is the excellent writing, ukulele playing, tweeting, blogging, traveling Pam Mandel, who struck us as the perfect creative force to take the idea and run with it. And we were right.
***
It took me 15 years to get to the top of the Space Needle, that icon of the future as seen from the past. It was my badge of honor, that I’d never seen the city that was my home from the single thing that defined our skyline the most. But the IMAX was sold out and the weather was so pretty. We squeezed into the elevator, three friends and a lot of strangers, and took the 43 second ride to the top. The city laid at our feet, a perfect topographic map, my house over that rise, the ferries sliding across the sound, the water curving away around the green islands.
It was perfect.–Pam
***
I took one hell of a deep breath. With just one swipe of my MetroCard, I’d traded in the busy hubbub of my then-neighborhood for really old (as in 1697 old) New York City: the largest tract of undisturbed farmland within the city limits. Though I’d lived in the area my entire life, I had no idea the Queens County Farm Museum existed. But–a long subway and bus ride away–there it was. Along with a giant pig, the requisite farm dog, a bunch of chickens, and one big brown cow. And a windmill and old farmhouses. And the ability to breathe. Deeply. I found that there, too. And it stayed put until the subway doors closed behind me on the way home.–Jenna
***
Considering how little I remember from my first visit to Dallas—I was job hunting, having already decided to move here—it’s odd that I remember making a phone call from Lemmon Avenue and Oak Lawn Boulevard, a major intersection. I don’t remember how I got there (Did I drive? Take a bus?) and I wasn’t sure how to get back to Fort Worth, where I was staying with friends. I called my host and described the intersection, but she had no idea where I was. It was my first clue that Dallas and Fort Worth are not the same place. The intersection has changed, but when I pass it now (as I do often) I see present and past, simultaneously.–Sophia
I haven’t tried Three-fer-Friday before, but I enjoyed these 3 stories. I’ve been to just one of the three places.
Which one? I’m guessing the Space Needle.
Thanks and glad you enjoyed it. We hope to see you back here every Friday (and Mondays and Wednesdays, too)!
Yo Pam, I’m really happy for you, and Im’a let you finish, but last week’s Three-fer Friday was the best ever. EVAR!
I waited all week to do that. Should have listed my name as Kanye though.
Ha! We’ve created an editorial monster!