There's something to be said for spending a week in a part of town you don't usually spend much time in. In the case of my jury duty last week this meant hanging around a lot in Civic Center, an area I never really thought much of before. But I found I really warmed up to it and started to appreciate it's charms.
Actually, I attribute a fair portion of this new found appreciation to Mabel. The main public library, the Asian Art Museum, and the UN Plaza farmer's market are some of her and her daddy's favorite weekday haunts, and on a few occasions lately I've gotten to tag along with them down here.
Which meant that in a way I was perfectly primed to spend some time in the same vicinity on my own--appreciating one thing and another through fresh eyes which were partly my own, and partly those of a toddler.
I get why, for many folks, the experience of having a child, and the inevitable concerns about safety that go along with becoming a parent, can reduce the inclination toward city life. It makes perfect sense that so many previously city-dwelling parents of school-age children decide to move their families to less urban environments.
And yet for me somehow it's turned out to be just the opposite. Having a kid around makes me relish the place we live on a whole new level. Makes me see wonders where maybe before I would have seen not much special.
And that makes me feel immensely lucky.
On a side note I was also quite gleeful to look over on one of our many breaks in the hallway and see all three of my fellow jurors with whom I was sharing a bench reading real live actual books!
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