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A Bad Case


Everybody has them. Days like this, I mean. Days when you wake up with a solid case of the I-don’t-wannas. Things that seemed highly motivating the night before stare at you, gray and uninteresting. I don’t know what causes this. As far as I know there is no cure for the I-dont-wannas, although it’s possible that research is ongoing.

The five am I-don’t-wannas are particularly challenging.

So.

I was reminded this morning that today is the two-year anniversary of when my friend discovered a snake in her car. I am forever indebted to her for allowing me to share this story on the blog. 

Panic at the Supermarket, from September, 2019

New and up-to-date is this piece by James Rouse, Jr. in the Baltimore Sun, writing about the future of Harborplace in Baltimore.

A Contrary View for Baltimore’s Harborplace, September, 2021

This piece prompted all sorts of thoughts for me. I’m not sure I agree with him. I lived in Baltimore during some of the years that Harborplace was experiencing its peak success and I always felt it was designed for out-of-towners. As brilliant as Rouse was, he was still essentially a white guy from out of town bringing a concept rooted in nostalgia for his childhood home in Easton, Maryland. 

Harborplace seems to me to be predicated on the notion that what would make Baltimore better/safer was a magnet to draw more white people. A huge amount of effort has been expended through the years to police Baltimore residents (you know, Black residents) who might possibly scare off the cash cow of white tourism. Was the concept wrong from the get-go? Or was it a pleasant enough experience which is simply past its prime?

Or perhaps Mr. Rouse, Jr. has a point.

I’d love to know what you think. 

Just for fun, here’s my rather twee recollection of the day I met Jim Rouse, Jr.


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