Giving Birmingham Its Due

Thoughts

Awareness of the outside world. Birmingham Hammerfest supports the Lakeshore Foundation. “To encourage and provide opportunities for people with disability to live a healthy lifestyle through activity, research, advocacy and health promotion.” LF: About
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Credit where credit is due.

When I moved to the Birmingham area in the mid-90s, I was appalled to find out that it was 20-30 years behind the times.

Woman who worked with young women: They are being told not to excel because that makes their men feel bad.

Me, flabbergasted: Didn’t we already go thru that years ago?

WWWWYW: I know, right?

So, that’s been my attitude toward Birmingham ever since. I’m told it is moving forward. I don’t get in to town often enough to see this supposed progress.

First, a back story. Years ago, I was staying with the snazzy branch of the family on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. I left the building. Turned right. My plan was to go down to the next avenue and eat at a restaurant I had seen earlier. Reached avenue. Couldn’t cross the street. The New York Marathon was running by.

For years, this has been one of my measures for what I love about city life, that you can stumble across amazing things. I had no idea the marathon was in the area. New York is vast and contains multitudes.

Fast forward to now.

While I waited for my chef to shop at the farmer’s market, I would take my daily walk around Pepper Place. Hmm. Set-up had changed from last time. Everything was wedged into the main market area. Because the normal secondary road …

… was blocked off for a bike race. I had no idea.

Okay, it wasn’t the NY marathon, but it was something. If I am going to claim that unexpected and entertaining finds are token of proper city life, I’ve got to give this one to Birmingham.