From Pay Phones to Cell Phones
My Park Hill, by Bob Boyle
Composed by an average human being using 10% of his brain capacity, with a solid grasp of 10% of his iPhone’s capabilities.
– Fellow Park Hillian*
This “virtual journal entry” spotlights a few historical facts and personal observations as further evidence that we live, work and play in the best neighborhood on the planet (not that we need publish the evidence). Thanks GPHN staff and readers in advance for the invitation to count a few of the ways…
Within six months after tying the knot on August 16, 1997, my wife Emily and I abandoned our creaky shoebox flat in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood and headed west on a wing, two mountain bikes and a job lead. Soon after our arrival in Denver, a new local friend introduced us to a compact 1932 brick bungalow “project” on the 2000 block of Krameria Street. The house, the neighbors and the densely canopied streets and medians triggered cool flashbacks to the slow but energized mid-western neighborhoods we knew as kids. The SOLD sign was up before we could do the math, and over the next few weeks a diverse stream of newfound friends stopped by to welcome us in. At very least, we knew we were among friends, vital city blocks and a vast mountain playground. As it turns out, we had staked our new home away from home. Indeed Bob Dylan was right, the times they were a-changin’. 1998 was a year for pioneering and Park Hill was a neighborhood on the move.
Fast forward one 1912 Denver Square, two oversized pergolas and three surreal adventures in the Rose delivery unit later and those days already seem like a blur in a bygone era. Gone are the days of relentless Monica Lewinsky headlines and life without texting or iPads, when the Internet was barely a toddler in Al Gore’s crib of societal transformation. Virtual, mobile, digital working and living is the new or soon to be norm for many, and is much less likely to get you fired for lack of, well, actual work.
Yet, it continues to strike me as ironic how time seems to stand still in such a vital and active place, as if to invite us to pause, re-activate and re-connect with family, friends and neighbors. On that very hunch, I’ve created three “action for the pause” recommendations, each calling for low to moderate physical exertion, all customizable to fit the individual’s comfort zone and fitness level. As with all physical activity, be street smart and find your sweet spot when it comes to balancing any changes to diet and fitness habits. Consult with a trusted physician before taking action. Consider stowing cell phones and devices. And most importantly, invest in every step, because our fellow Park Hillians are counting on us.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a few important calls to make. I’ll just use the pay phone at 22nd and Kearney. Spare a quarter anyone?
And remember…you can be a human being or a human doing. It’s your choice.*
*Quotes acquired via recent iPhone signature blocks associated with a fellow Park Hillian. As an aside, said Park Hillian is the founder of “Park Hill Palooza” and “Bottle Rocket Science” – in all likelihood the best local rock band to headline your next epic gig. For more info, check out “Bottle Rocket Science” @ facebook.com/BottleRocketScience.
Bob’s “Action For The Pause” Recommendations
Be active. Walk, run or ride a short loop from a neighbor’s house. Consider random start times near dawn or dusk, such as 5:32 am or 8:53 pm. Embrace the awkward. Bring a neighbor who would be surprised by the invitation. See how the neighborhood reveals more of its unique “personality” while on foot or bicycle. Left-brainers design your own maps at mapmyride.com. Reluctant cyclists saddle up at bikedepot.org. Would-be walkers recruit a buddy or walking coach at walk2connect.com. Right-brainers just do it – lace up and go. Include dogs whenever possible.
Be retroactive. There is no shortage of great retrospective resources on Park Hill, many of which have been recommended or reviewed at GPHN. Explore Denver Public Library’s Pauline Robinson and Park Hill branches (denverpubliclibrary.org). For timeless “love thy neighborhood” fiction, consider a trip back to Green Town, Illinois in the summer of 1928. Get there via Ray Bradbury’s classic Dandelion Wine. See if you spot parallels to Park Hill. Full disclosure, this GPHN post is inspired by and dedicated to Mr. Bradbury, who died on June 5, 2012 at the age of 91. Kids, grandmas, CEOs, writers, scientists, artists, philosophers, rovers, hacks, worker bees et al, learn how an American legend decided to live forever at raybradbury.com
Be proactive. Get high on a little help FOR a friend. Connect with an elderly neighbor with a BBQ invitation, a joke or a custom music CD mix (be sure to ask for jokes and music recommendations in return, you’ll be rewarded tenfold). Ask him or her to tell you about life or work in 1928 (Ray Bradbury referred to such inquiries as proof that time travel is possible!). I was reminded of the added importance of this simple step over a coffee at Adagio Bakery with a neighbor, friend and business partner a few weeks ago. My friend shared a story of an elderly neighbor who recently fell and was injured in his own home. A family member found him dehydrated and nearing collapse a few days after the fall. Thankfully, I’m told he is making a strong recovery.