San Fran Ch'i

My husband and I just returned from San Francisco where we proudly witnessed the graduation of his son from San Francisco State. We spent a few extra days hanging out with him and letting him play tour guide. He loves the city and was happy to show us his favorite places. I’ve traveled a lot but for some reason was struck by the difference in ch’i between what I’m used to here in Minneapolis and what I experienced in San Francisco.

Perhaps I’m stating the obvious, but for me the energy in San Francisco and that of Minneapolis might be in the category of polar opposites. I think sometimes here in the Midwest we get content, even lethargic. We get into a groove and are often reluctant to shift into something else. We love our routines. There’s no time for routines in California. For one thing, there may be an earthquake at any time that could change everything. So people are on the go, on the move, up and out, on a fast track. Don’t take this as a blast against us Minnesotans, but our lifestyle is, well, slower.

For one thing, people in San Francisco live closer together, and they put up with it. They eat in very small restaurants at crowded tables. We need our space here in Minnesota. Most of the California people I met don’t have cars----come on, we’d never endure the inconvenience of that, let alone the loss of independence. Of course, San Francisco has so much public transit that it’s down-right easy to get around without a car. We rented a car for our recent visit and spent endless amounts of time trying to park the thing----no space, or if there was space, not big enough. I didn’t see one over-weight person in San Francisco, I’m sure it’s because they have to walk to the transit station, or the bus stop. I did see one very obese woman in Chinatown, but the camera around her neck was evidence that she was a tourist.

In my opinion, the ch’i in San Francisco is nearly electric. It’s exciting, progressive, on-the-edge (probably because that next earthquake could be the big one). It left me breathless at times, even exhilarated. I’d love to live there. I think I could do very well there. The truth is I’d love to live there if I was younger. I’d love living there more if I was assured of a decent income. Oh yes, it was good to come home and slow down a bit. I was happy to get in my car again and get somewhere on my own time table. Nevertheless, a part of me is still in San Francisco, thinking about what it would be like to be part of that energy. I hear a song coming on......