Austin, TX

What’s changed, what’s the same, does the spirt run deep enough to preserve the sacred pieces of Austin, TX?

I’ve worked in and around Austin, TX for almost all of my adult career. I am known, revered, cursed, loved & hated, pretty much a stalwart, having spent more than 20 years sustaining myself as a working reader.

It’s what I do.

Not long ago, I woke up in a North Austin motel, rolled over, and I realized I was – once again – a tourist in my home town.

Or, perhaps it’s no longer home, just a place of business? I’m unsure as that expression sits too bittersweet on the tongue.

For close to a decade now, I’ve labored under the phrase, in San Antonio, that “I’m a tourist in my own home (town).” Austin when the airport, with faded, fraying carpet was just north of downtown? Austin, when there were speedboat races on Town Lake? Motorcycle races in the street? Austin, when struggling musicians didn’t have to struggle to exist?

Me? I’m byproduct from that creative cauldron of a certain era, before F1, when ACL showcased local talent and SXSW was a minor spring-break inconvenience, with occasional good bands ladled in for entertainment’s sake.

Since I no longer recognize parts of Austin, I can safely say I’m now more of a tourist rather than former hometown child.

So now? I’m of tourist mentally, whether it’s home in San Antonio, or home in Austin, TX.

astrofish.net/travel

After I jotted down the memories, in that motel room, I made my way to the Starbucks at the old Austin airport, now a sprawling urban development with a heavy emphasis on retail. Mostly retail. At that mega-chainstore, I looked down as an older, presumably a couple, of males were ahead of me in line. Both had sparkling toenail polish, blue with radiant sparkles. Gray hair on one fellow, the other shaved clean, polite, even gracious couple, near as I could tell, but I didn’t pry. What captivated me was the tonenail polish.

On the wall, at that one location, there’s a corporate mural that’s the artistic rendition of the original Starbuck’s location, Seattle, by the market. Yes, been there, too.

Making new memories of tourist stops, as a part of this. It’s new, and reinvigorated. Old Austin, TX is gone. Not sure if this is a phoenix, rising from ashes or just “Rube Goldberg” extention, building on the extant energies, refining, enlarging, maybe amplifying what was already present.

#Austin