Friday, October 7, 2011

When I Was Sixteen

ALOHA - 
or as Philadelphia People Say:  
 
Y O !




When I was sixteen years old,
I rented a room in West Philadelphia,
and attended an alternative school 
in center city. 
Back then I traveled mostly by bicycle.








Philadelphia's City Hall - From Wikipedia - "At 167 m (548 ft), including the statue, it is the world's tallest masonry building: the weight of the building is borne by granite and brick walls up to 22 feet thick, rather than steel;...It was the tallest habitable building (although surpassed by monuments) in the world from 1901 to 1908." 

 Every night, I bicycled past City Hall
checking the time on her tower clocks;
10 minutes till 11pm-
I'll be on time for my job








Painting by Robert Finale
Independence Hall
The US Declaration of Independence was signed here
July 4, 1776
I can close my eyes and see the pale old face of her clock also.
Roman Numerals - I'm right on time.

I headed all the way east 
towards the Delaware River
and the historic part of town.
Today they call it
"Olde City."  

Back then, it was just old.







There she is, 320 Walnut Street.
Just one little office building in a big city full of them.

  My dad's tiny building maintenance company
had the contract to clean her.

  I arrived at 11pm to sign out the cleaners.
  Then I spent the night there
replacing the paper products in the restrooms,
touching up the cleaning;
  Checking in at night watchman stations
where I inserted a big key
and left a timed record of my visits.

She was mine till morning,
all six floors of offices, 
and east & west office 'penthouses'

  320 was one of the buildings
that I had visited with my father
since I was 12 or 13.

  Back then she still had only a 
manually operated elevator. 

Have you even BEEN in such a contraption?
I learned to run it from floor to floor -
in fact I now recall 
that on a few Saturdays
I was elevator operator all day!

  Close the lobby door, close the
scissor-action
inner metal gate,
then pull back on the 
brass handle
to send us UP. 

You could see the floors
and innards of the building
as they went past the gate.
I became quite good at stopping
RIGHT at the floor I wanted.
  But if someone was annoying,
I could stop the car a few inches
below grade
and make them step up.

  It's true what they say:
"Be nice to the people you meet on the way up.
  You'll meet them on the way down too. "

And I had the power to make you wait. 
"Where IS that elevator kid?!" 
They rang a bell for service. . .




The ground under this piece of
Olde Philadelphia
had once been the Quaker Almshouse
where Evangeline, of the great American
Wadsworth poem,
  reunited with her love at last!

  Back then,
ghosts were people I hadn't personally known
in life.
It was all very cool and abstract,
without the tugging on one's heart.





A block further down Walnut
towards the river was
the First Bank of the United States -







- Looking much as she always had.
  Only the city changed around her.








The Old Customs House was also a neighbor.
  I could see into that glass cupola from my building
and marvel at that small, still, space
full of morning light
and history's dust motes.
Sailing ships had been
espied from there;
Documents written with quill
by lamp light.

George Washington, Franklin,
Jefferson had all
walked these streets!





During long stretches of the night,
I could sit by the window of the east penthouse, 
an architects office,
and watch the river traffic of lighted tug boats
and freighters from ALL over the globe
in the tidal Delaware River.

William Penn had first landed
on her banks near-by
to found his City of Brotherly Love,
the capitol of his 
Comonwealth of Pennsylvania,
"Penn's woods."
(Pennsylvania does not call herself
a "state'
though she technically is
one of the fifty.)


When I was growing up,
the Delaware Valley
was called:
"Workshop of the World."


   The great Ben Franklin Bridge
to New Jersey
presided over the river scene,
like the local god
of the 20th Century's triumph
over river ferries
and sail.


How many nights
I watched her tower lights 
blink RED off
and on.


Listening to the sounds of the city,
so close,
yet so far below
my locked princess tower;
Sirens, 24 hour industry.
Refinery flames lit the skies
over South Jersey.

I felt very alive
and expectant,
As one does at sixteen.
Eager to get away. . . 
into all that tumult.



Little did I know,
that in my marvelous future 
I would muse with such love
over these formative years,
and value the memories
so very much.

 



In the morning, when I exited 320's lobby
these colonial homes
and their present-day sleepers
were what I saw across Walnut Street.

 I peddled to breakfast at Dewey's,
rest at home,
and the school day.


We can do anything
when we are young.

I was making my way in the world.
I was a working adult - not a dependent child.
That was very important to me.






Today, Google Street View shows
the brass we polished,
the lobby I mopped on snowy mornings,
in disrepair.

According to Google Search,
  320 Walnut is now for sale. 

If I was as rich as a Russian oligarch
I would buy her,
and she would be a museum
of ME-
and Dad too.








That Philly kid didn't know
that today this would be my city view at night.
My Honolulu Town - 

Though not born here, 
I have worked, lived, laughed
& cried here.
Here is where Dad breathed his last.


The only wonder I wonder
is which city I shall choose
to haunt?

My birthplace of Brotherly Love-
or the Aloha home of my adulthood?

These are the wonders
one wonders
in the depth of night
with a great city
in view. . . .


Thank you for sitting beside me here-
and there.

It means the world
to share these musings
with you.


Leave me a little comment
to keep the magic going.


                                              Warmly, cloudia





41 comments:

FilipBlog said...

Very nice buildings and photos. I was however also expecting a photo from you at the age of 16.

Greetings,
Filip

Sincerity said...

What a beautiful post! I have visited Philadelphia many times but its not the same as living there. For me my home has always been Lancaster.

I love living in Amish country and having my pick of which scenic back roads to take to work each day. :)

Lynn said...

I wish you could have that building, too - what wonderful memories! You have certainly made yourself some fine new memories, too.

Loved this post, Cloudia. Happy Friday.

Lori Skoog said...

Good morning Cloudia,
I loved this post. Could feel it...so rich. Really enjoyed learning more about you.

Anonymous said...

I think you will haunt the city where you and your family lived. As you know I traveled the world for 7 years before returning to my birthplace. I will haunt Honolulu after I die.

Charles Gramlich said...

I was probably older than 16 before I ever rode in an elevator. No such things in my home town. But maybe at the mall when I was a teenager.

irinapictures said...

Great story. Bravo.
Sorry, I am not Russian Oligarch to help the building...

Jannie Funster said...

Nope, I've never been in a manually-operated elevator.

So true we CAN do anything when we are young.

I really like the Robert Finale painting, want to dive right in and poke around. And perhaps I shall!

Here's to Philly, may I immerse myself in it for few days, then move to Hawaii to live on a boat!!

xoxo

Anonymous said...

Now knowing, difficult to forget !



Spend the first holidays on me own three weeks in the North of Spain, after a bus ride from North of Germany, while being sixteen.
Got lost while walking in a forest and met a goatherd and drank some milk.
Please have you all a good weekend.

Windsmoke. said...

Bonza photos, i've never heard or seen a manually operated elevator before :-).

FruitCake said...

Thank you for sharing your Philly, I enjoyed the personal tour.

Oakland Daily Photo said...

Back then I doubt you knew that these activities would leave such vivid,important memories. I appreciate your sharing them with us. Reading them, I was captivated.

Cloudia said...

Thank you for 'going there' with me!

magiceye said...

thank you for the beautiful journey!

namaste /\ from mumbai!
aloha!!

Cloudia said...

Namste

Indrani said...

Wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing. Great pictures too. :)

Jen and Ron said...

Thank you ~ Cloudia... you burst with stories that I love! Keep going sistah. Aloha Nui, Jen

Rahul Bhatia said...

Such a beautiful pictorial narrative Cloudia! Enjoyed it every bit.

Bob Bushell said...

High buildings and a very good memory, do you like it?

黄清华 Wong Ching Wah said...

A great story about your life !

Friko said...

This is a lovely post, Cloudia. You must have been some tough and determined kid to combine school with a full-time job.

Magia da Inês said...

♥ •˚。
°°Olá, amiga! 。♥。
● ♥• Lindas fotos de lembranças maravilhosas.
˚。˚ Bom fim de semana!
♥ •˚。Beijinhos.
•˚。Brasil
..(░)(░)
(░)(♥)(░)
..(░)(░)

Commander Zaius said...

Thanks for the tour!

Anonymous said...

That building you cleaned... ghosts?????? Hey, it's October... I'm just thinking...

the walking man said...

Having lived in South Philadelphia for a year or so all of those places looked so familiar, given the choice though I think I'd just as soon sleep then haunt anywhere...except maybe some quiet corner of Detroit, ha ha ha ha ha ha.

ayala said...

Thank you for sharing, this is great!

Erika said...

Very interesting and touching account.
My compliments!
Ciao bella. Buon weekend!
*-*

Full-On-Forward said...

OMGosh how awesome! Please let me know which you choose so I can come and listen to you tell me in person, these awesome tales of your life. And we can haint people together and really mess with their heads!!!

Thanks Sis!!! I have a feeling the building remembers and misses you as well!!!!!

John

I want to start taking Architecture pics next! AWESOME oh Talented one!!!!

Hugs and haunts,

John

21 Wits said...

The best part of my days is feeling like that girl of sixteen, we can do anything, still today...I really enjoyed this glimpse into your yesterday, (we have much in common) no wonder I relate to so much of what you have to say... Cloudia, have a great reflective but inspiring weekend ...before it's over!

Oops forgot to mention the stunning views......they are olde, mostly and so much a treasure to the beholder!

Teresa said...

Thanks for taking us on your trip down memory lane!

Cloudia said...

LOVE this! Thank YOU SO much!

黄清华 Wong Ching Wah said...

I like how analyzed the dark spot !

SandyCarlson said...

Thanks for the walkabout and your memories. Philadelphia is a wonderful city, the more so because you were once a pat of it.

PerthDailyPhoto said...

Hi Cloudia, I've just come in a little later today, thank you so much for sharing a part of your 'growing up' years with us, I really enjoyed getting to know know you a little more. As for where you might 'haunt' ..why not be a world traveler then, and visit places like........Perth perhaps haha!

Anonymous said...

Gosh Cloudia -- you were a brave kid to be in that building by yourself! You could write another book just from stories from that adventure! DrumMajor

Jenn Jilks said...

You are magical, indeed. I've been sitting with a palliative client. I want to ask him his stories, but he is deaf. He has speech issues, too. Thank you for this trip.

Cloudia said...

Thank YOU!!

Erik Donald France said...

Beaut--------i----ful~~!

Cloudia said...

thanks Erik

Lynda Lehmann said...

Cloudia, this is such an engaging and interesting post, and quite a nice glimpse at your youth and heritage. I thoroughly enjoyed your musings and the tour!

I also enjoyed the reference to "Evangeline," that you had mentioned in your comment on my blog. And, for another synchronicity, we have the fact that I grew up in Pennsylvania, too! But in the suburbs--Allentown to be exact--about an hour from Philly.

Thank you for a great post!

Cloudia said...

thank YOU