welcome to santa cruz

And get the fuck out of my way.

Today was different. I woke at the base of a lighthouse to a tranquil sunrise and bunnies in the bushes. And ended my day in an urban camp spot with three vagrants.

But the part of the day that shocked me most was the realization that I am back to southern california. The number of short-tempered, angry and impatient drivers that we saw today easily out numbered redwoods in the forest.

Santa Cruzians--chill the fuck out and embrace all the beauty around you. I felt sadness for these city dwellers too caught up in the hassles of the day to enjoy the moment or their environment. What happens in the transition from north of san francisco to the south of francisco that turns people into the ultimate self-centered, in-a-hurry-all-the-time egotistical humans? Get out of your lexus, take your shoes off and put your toes in the grass. You might enjoy the time, the quiet and the relaxation.

But another part of santa cruz really caught me off guard today. We cycled through acres and acres of strawberry, artichoke and fungi fields. And next to these multi-million dollars homes with people too busy to be humane to other humans, are mostly hispanic field workers bent over for hours upon hours picking fruit for my breakfast.

So many thoughts rushed through my head. Confusion. Amazement. Dismay. How would the field worker feel driving a lexus and enjoying ocean front breakfast for a day? How would that guy who flipped me off from his 6-figure car feel picking strawberries for a day?

And now, here I am in Monterey Bay at an urban camp ground sharing a bench with three homeless people. Part of me worries because the hiker/biker sites aren't meant for homeless and I feel unsafe. Yet where else are they supposed to go? And after what I biked through today how can I sit here and assume I am better? Or cleaner? Or more educated? Or more honest? I wouldn't be any better than the guy in the lexus who can't give me an extra three seconds to get through the stop light.