Near Northsider – Houston

We woke up early for the fourth straight year in a row to watch the Chevron Houston Marathon come by the neighborhood. As usual it was a sea of people flowing down the streets of the Northside; this event with international participation that inundated a residential neighborhood that sometimes seems an insular corner of the city, much less of the world.

The first time we watched it, we woke up early one weekend morning because we heard screaming and chearing and a lot of other noise.  We got up and saw some orange cose on Quitman, and what looked like some people running down the street.  It looked too organized to be any kind of trouble, but it seemed so wierd that it was so damn early in the morning.  Even wierder that we wouldn’t know about something that was such a big deal coming through our neighborhood.  It seemed like everyone else already knew about it and had planned on it.  Families were out on their lawn chairs in the yards or on the sidewalk cheering these runners as they came by.  Some people even had parties going on with people on their porch drinking beer and mimosas.

I for one am grateful that the marathon comes directly through my neighborhood.  It gives me the feeling that the decision-makers of this city are aware of us.  They know where we are and that we are a part of the city that they are not ashamed to show the Near Northside to intenational guests.  Of course, it also gives me the feeling that the decision-makers would see this as recognition to claim our neighborhood in their own vision of city development.  Without any involvment or participation in our community they are willing to see it as part of their own world because it resides within the boundaries of their city.

But that’s just late-night pessimism speaking with a flavor of nativism that probably comes out of my tendecy toward elitism.  The marathon coming through the Northside is a wonderful thing because it does include us as a part of the larger vision of the city, and because it offers an opportunity for exposure, both to outsiders and natives.  I hope the marathon grows in popularity and success and I hope it continues to come through my neighborhood.  I also hope that we the community, not just Chevron, can find ways to produce more events andhappenings and ways that intervene with our mundane view of ourselves and the place we live.

It has been a whirlwind this last half of the year.  Maybe it’s a little of the job, a little of home, or maybe I’ve just lost some endurance lately.  It’s the same ol’ stuff, but I feel exausted.  The holiday has not been going any easier either.  Not enough days off.  It’s not just rest or days away from the grind that I needed; but also days for me to do some work at home, cleaning, organizing, fixing, etc.  I didn’t even get to put lights on my house this year.  I guess we all need that, but we often refuse to take the time away from work.  sometimes because you don’t get paid for the time you take, and sometimes cause even if you do get paid for it, it puts you days behind your work and makes the next few days or weeks that much more stressful.

With a new year, however, I’m hopeful that I will regain my energy.  Maybe I’ll be able to grow from the lessons I’ve learned and maybe I’ll be able to get past those fears and doubts that still keep me from doing all the good stuff I want to.  Moving on.

Happy New Year!