Walking in the 'Burbs

Today I dropped my car off to get a full cleaning. This was very important to me, and you know this if you have ever been in my car. I used to keep my car so clean that it looked and smelled new for over a year. I was that person who didn't let you eat in the car... or at least not without wincing. However, as soon as graduated, I used my car a lot more. It became my home on wheels. I keep things in there for: work, shows, voice lessons, auditions, the gym, and going out.

Anyway, I was very excited to finally have a clean car. So I dropped it off and I had three hours to kill. I needed some jeans, so I walked to the mall in the blazing heat. As I did so, I noticed how un-walker friendly my town is. There are sidewalks that stop in the middle of the block, are only on one side of the street, and some that are half the width of normal sidewalks.

At school, I loved to walk... everywhere. In fact, I would call people up to just go for a walk. However, in my town, no one walks. I saw maybe four people in the time it took me to walk to the mall, walk home, and walk back to the car place. The crosswalks are unfriendly to walkers. I also hate being objectified by men who think it must be flattering to be yelled at by a stranger whizzing by in their dirty truck. I was whistled/yelled at about three times by obnoxious males. I guess my ripped-up jeans, green t-shirt, sandals, and greasy pulled back hair looked really sexy from inside their shitty-ass, dented-up cars.

This is the reason I normally avoid walking around here. You are stared at by everyone who must be thinking: "What happened to that poor girl's car?" or "Man, I want me a piece of that!"

So I arrive at the mall, and then I remembered: I hate the mall. I was hot. I was alone. I had been stared at for the last twenty minutes while I walked. I was not happy. The mall is so depressing. All of the consuming just reminded me of every American cliché.

I felt trapped. It was so odd. I mean, I've not had a car for more years than I've had a car. Somehow though I felt like I was trying to survive... in a mall... with no car with which to leave. After buying my jeans, I tried to relax by having some frozen yogurt in the even more disgusting food court. I couldn't sit still. I was too anxious. I decided to take a stand. I decided to leave the mall.

On my walk home, I passed by some lawn maintenance men who all gawked at me and one whistled. It was worse than the car people because they were just across the street from me. I took a different way home than I intended just to avoid walking by another group of maintenance guys I saw down the block. I made it home, collapsed, and waited around until 3:50 when I walked back to the car place.

The good news is, my car is nice and clean. I had dinner with three of my good girlfriends. I saw The Producers with Will, his parents, and Michelle. I got offered a job doing something I think I will like for alright money...and I guess, I also got a nice little workout from all of my walking.