Was it Aldous Huxley that first used that little phrase for a title? Of course it was the Bard’s Tempest ingenue Miranda who said those words long ago, when she saw a handsome human male for the first time ….oh brave new world, something along the lines of having such marvelous creatures in it…she was aghast and agog…Huxley, not so much.
Me? I am filled with fascination, with a gentle kind of awe, as i explore my new “enchanted island”, our new modern, high rise, concierged apartment building we just moved into from our decade’s residence in our Victorian in the Haight. For me, taking my first solo excursion out of our enthralling 19th floor aerie for the first time yesterday, my cane my only companion, I felt like an adventurer for sure….so many key fobs and doodads to discover the use of….this building has among its many “spells” the comforting one known as “security”….this building, soaring and architectural, along with its attendant fortress of a parking garage, are extremely guarded against the curious hoards of tourists along the Embarcadero….this seems one secure dwelling.
It is also an extremely convenient, comfortable one: tenant lounges (it’s a rental community) on several floors, including an amazing one on the top of the building, showing the Bay in all its glory; a couple of communal entertainment areas, with comfy chairs and sofas to bring your boxes of wine to ( no glass allowed); an array of adorable pooches to pet, their owners fun to get to know; a computer lounge for tenants use; even a conference room to accommodate the young moguls who work in the business- impressive neighborhood, in case they want their Boards to come to THEM!
Mainly, I discovered a bunch of very nice people who live and work here……from Guiliarmo the doorman, to Amy and Christian the daytime managers…..I met a Brit little bird of a woman at the mailboxes named Maggie, an ambitious real estate broker named Thuan in the computer lounge, and a tall slender beauty named Jenn by the bikes in the lower lobby! Being an old lady of 75 has shown me: young people like old people! I always seem to remind them of some relative or theirs, so, whether or not they are expecting candy from my comfortable sweater pocket, they are so nice to me! Smiling, warm, sweet….I love that.
Of course I love that.
But the bravest thing about my circumambulating around the Rincon Towers was that I did it! Since my fall some weeks ago, breaking my wrist and ankle, I’ve been timid about doing any movement at all unless accompanied by a supportive strong husband….in this process of mending and recovering, I seem t have lost my courage, and I am determined to regain it here in our new home . When I fell, I remember thinking “ oh maybe now we can’t make this large move?” But determined, and in love with our new apartment way up in the clouds, we did it! And here we are.
Three of the top disrupters to personal,peace? Losing a loved one,( my darling friend Paul died months ago); personal injury ( yeah, no kidding), and moving residences …..I hit the trifecta and am alive to write the tale.
So…..when was I brave?
Why……just yesterday….just yesterday.
By Jan Sollish
On June 2, 2023
Oh I love this Ev!!! I am now expecting a Murders in the Building mystery San Francisco style!!!
By Evalyn Baron
On June 2, 2023
❤️
By Paul DeLong
On June 8, 2023
So wonderful you are seeing all this as an adventure. Bravo! That alone makes your writing a rich repast for exploring the transition where, in our best selves, the past gives the fresh forgetful present a parting hug that lasts a long time. <3
o many key fobs and doodads to discover the use of….this building has among its many “spells” the comforting one known as “security”….
Wonderful writing. We do live in a magic world full of incantations, powers, and invisible forces. You remind us gamely of it!
{…with comfy chairs and sofas to bring your boxes of wine to ( no glass allowed) …} … security has its prices, lol.
{the young moguls who work in the business- impressive neighborhood, in case they want their Boards to come to THEM!} LOL, good humor … the illusion of power, so seductive, so fleeting, in the end, if we follow that siren's call, we are the left behind, sooner or later.
Out of room… more in comment # 2
By Paul DeLong
On June 8, 2023
met a Brit little bird of a woman at the mailboxes named Maggie, an ambitious real estate broker named Thuan in the computer lounge, and a tall slender beauty named Jenn by the bikes in the lower lobby! Being an old lady of 75 has shown me: young people like old people! I always seem to remind them of some relative or theirs, so, whether or not they are expecting candy from my comfortable sweater pocket, they are so nice to me! Smiling, warm, sweet….I love that.
Marvelous description; keenly warm observation; generous perspective on the world; perhaps it is that young people recognize your magnanimous spirit, your bon vivant aura, and that too is what they are so drawn to!
When I fell, I remember thinking “ oh maybe now we can’t make this large move?” But determined, and in love with our new apartment way up in the clouds, we did it! And here we are.
… And many congratulations due thereof ! The capping and leading stage of growth is this one: Celebration! Do. Oh, do.
By Paul DeLong
On June 8, 2023
You haven’t lost your courage, you are bathing in it; no harm no foul in making sure its the right temperature and doesn’t overflow the tub!
By Paul DeLong
On June 8, 2023
“…three of the top disrupters to personal peace? Losing a loved one,( my darling friend Paul died months ago); personal injury ( yeah, no kidding), and moving residences …..I hit the trifecta and am alive to write the tale.”
Not just alive. Living. And loving. You are a big soul, Evalyn. The world needs you.