Reflection on Walk #31 on Van Ness Blvd. On a beautiful morning, already spring on Valentine’s day 2015, six walkers got the benefit of blossoms and blooms on this walk through massive houses, wide streets, and manicured lawns and gardens. Most of these are old neighborhoods with mature thick landscaping and towering trees.
After each silent walk, we often start the discussion by rating how we were able to stay focused, stay present, paying attention to the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of the places we walk. Out of 100%, walkers rate themselves. This walk had the lowest ratings of all walks. Walkers commented that they felt distracted, and rated themselves 40% to 60%. Other walks are 90%. We weren’t sure what the distraction was, but thought it was interesting.
Walkers strolled through the gated and guarded Stonebridge housing community. Walkers weren’t not sure how strict the access was, but the guard let us walk right through. Did we have some privilege that let us right in? What if we were teenagers or people of color? Walkers discussed the possibilities. Houses in here surround man-made lakes, and water features flow throughout the private residential area. Walkers commented on how few people were out in this neighborhood on such a beautiful morning, no kids, no pets. Quiet, no smell of breakfast foods cooking. These observations were in contrast to other neighborhoods with kids on foot and bikes, people out, dogs barking at us, and the smell of food and sounds of music on Saturday mornings.
Walked to the large Mormon temple at Sierra and Valentine. The google map labels this “The Church”. This special building looked like the Mormon temple in Salt Lake. It’s surrounded by a white rod iron fence, but the gate was open, so walkers strolled through, and a few of us walked the winding walkway around the temple. Back near the entrance gate, people were coming in and we were greeted by Emily, who tells us she has just returned from a year and a half in Brazil. Others are going into the temple with duffle bags and, while Emily clearly needed to go with them, we appreciated that she took time to chat with us. Walkers asked what event was going on in the big temple, but we were not told nor invited in. But Emily invited us back to the regular building on a Sunday morning at 9 a.m.
Walkers talked about what we didn’t see on this walk: no yards sales, no roaming dogs, no visible trash, no electrical wires, only twice did we see children out, no teenagers, only one cat, only one old car. What we did see: large trees, manicured lawns and flower beds, a few solar panels (walkers thought there should have been more solar and drought tolerant landscaping in these neighborhoods), clean streets.
Walkers discussed the amount of space these houses and lots take up. On this walk, we go by fewer houses because this is less densely populated. We talked about the income gap between this neighborhood and most other Fresno neighborhoods. Does this neighborhood have any signs of ‘slipping’? Walkers said “no”. But one walker talked about ‘hidden slippage’, that people in all neighborhoods are affected by the economy, poor air quality, and the drought.
One walker told how she drives throughout Fresno almost daily for her job in many neighborhoods of Fresno Unified Schools. This neighborhood looks nothing like the neighborhoods she is in every day. The conditions in this neighborhood are not the reality for most of Fresno. Another walker admitted that there were 100 homes on this walk where she would love to live.
On this beautiful morning, walkers enjoyed the sounds and sights of beautiful landscaping, mature trees, squirrels and birds. And we discussed our brothers and sisters, living right here, and how all of our lives and futures are tied up together.
