Today, while visiting the "Mall of America" in Bloomington, Minnesota (Minneapolis / St. Paul metro) a late teens / early twenties woman walked by. She was dressed slightly punk. Something that you might find just about anywhere in Portland.
She had some black clothing on, some funky shoes with heels, a little bit of spiky jewelry, darkish eye make-up and had half her hair dyed green. Nothing really extreme. No visible piercing, no hard core tattoos, nothing that even really looked odd.
A girl, maybe around 6 or 7 years old, asked her mom: "Mom, why is she dressed like that?" and her mom replied "Oh, she must be in costume for the Harry Potter thing they have tonight."
Now, as a thirty something - I would look pretty silly if I suddenly went punk or goth. But by all reasoning, had I grown up in Portland - that is probably how I would have been. Most of the places I like best in Portland - *I* look out of place as the boring-ish guy in a T-shirt and jeans.
And that is what I love about Portland.
It really takes some looking to find those places in Minneapolis, St. Paul. Sure there are the obvious places, like around the University of Minnesota (Gophers easily make as cool as mascot as Beavers and Ducks) - but in my extensive exploring over the last 10 days, this area is EXCESSIVELY suburban and very homogeneous.
Of course, there are many other things I love about Portland too...
She had some black clothing on, some funky shoes with heels, a little bit of spiky jewelry, darkish eye make-up and had half her hair dyed green. Nothing really extreme. No visible piercing, no hard core tattoos, nothing that even really looked odd.
A girl, maybe around 6 or 7 years old, asked her mom: "Mom, why is she dressed like that?" and her mom replied "Oh, she must be in costume for the Harry Potter thing they have tonight."
Now, as a thirty something - I would look pretty silly if I suddenly went punk or goth. But by all reasoning, had I grown up in Portland - that is probably how I would have been. Most of the places I like best in Portland - *I* look out of place as the boring-ish guy in a T-shirt and jeans.
And that is what I love about Portland.
It really takes some looking to find those places in Minneapolis, St. Paul. Sure there are the obvious places, like around the University of Minnesota (Gophers easily make as cool as mascot as Beavers and Ducks) - but in my extensive exploring over the last 10 days, this area is EXCESSIVELY suburban and very homogeneous.
Of course, there are many other things I love about Portland too...
Comments
;)
You are welcome to move back there, we won't miss you. Much...