Dallas: The City That One Can, Perhaps, Grow to Like
Despite being in Dallas for over a year now, Adam and I are just discovering different pockets of the city and what they have to offer. I figured I'd put aside my hateful rhetoric about how ugly Dallas is compared to our beautiful Alabama--yes, I said it.... and on the Internet no less, so it is pretty much writ in stone for all eternity--and give Dallas a genuine chance to make an impression on me.
Coming to Dallas made me realize how much of a small-town Southerner I have really become. The previous 10 years that I lived in Alabama prior to our move to Dallas, I fought the small-town atmosphere with every fiber of my being. After all, I was a Marylander. I didn't really know what that meant, since I had eaten crab on only one or two occasions and rode on the Metro maybe twice as many times. But scenes from the movie Sweet Home Alabama confirmed my worst fears of the South and I was determined never to embrace such a backwards identity.
But Birmingham, AL honestly turned out to be a beautiful place, with rolling hills, mountains and lush forests which seamlessly mingle with the towns which comprise it... Oh and the people! Southern hospitality does exists (on the flip side, so does Southern racism, on occasion... but it's a small blot). Some of the most important friendships I made all trace back to that my time in Birmingham. Also, it took me years to discover this, and going to an amazing liberal arts college helped, but Birmingham has many amazing artists and it has a decidedly diverse and open-minded Art scene! Unfortunately, I didn't get to be a part of it, since the realization came near the end of my University career and we moved to Dallas soon after I graduated. =(
So that's my rant about my beloved Birmingham. If you had told me I'd be amongst its most avid defenders 10 years ago, I would have groaned and probably been embarrassed. Back then, Alabama was a state my eyes didn't even catch on the map... so I wasn't even sure where it was.
Well that was kind of a long-winded explanation about my feelings for Dallas! But it was necessary to make you understand why flat, treeless, brown and crumbling Dallas was so offensive to my aesthetic as a photographer and, more importantly, my soul, which thrives on natural beauty. But the Dallas I described, the one I was introduced to, I now realize is one facet of just some areas in Dallas. And it's not fair for me to paint all of Dallas with such criticism. So last weekend, Adam and I and another friend went out to discover Dallas. We walked around the Art District, visited the Dallas Museum of Art, ate from the food trucks at the corner of Leonard and Flora St. and enjoyed a sunset from Pioneer Plaza amongst bronze statues of longhorns being driven by three horse riding cowboys. (Sorry for the quality of the pictures on the left; they are from my cell phone.)
The best part, however, was when we were leaving the plaza, Adam, in his voice which carries *ahem*, said, "We gotta pray soon!" (referring to our dusk prayer) and a middle-aged man with a kind face near us exclaimed, "Let's all pray together!" We weren't really sure where this was going, but we smiled at each other and gathered in a small circle, the three of us, him and his wife, with our heads bowed. The gentleman lifted his arms and gently, protectively enclosed them around the small group and said one of the most beautiful and sincere prayers I have heard in the English language. His words exalted God, His magnificence and spoke of our desperate love and need for Him; He asked God to encompass us in our lives, lift us to Him, bless us and our new friendship. Friendship. I was startled and deeply moved as I heard him say this word, as I realized that I really did feel a deep connection with this couple despite the fact that I didn't even know their names! We parted ways with high-fives, spiritually intimate yet complete strangers in the worldly sense. Also, how many prayers do you know that end with high-fives?! Moments like this are what enliven the soul and restore faith in humanity. It was an amazing feeling. And yeah, Dallas ain't that bad. =)
The next day we went for a hike on the last wildlife preserve in all of Dallas... the photo from yesterday was a preview. The rest will have to wait until tomorrow!
Coming to Dallas made me realize how much of a small-town Southerner I have really become. The previous 10 years that I lived in Alabama prior to our move to Dallas, I fought the small-town atmosphere with every fiber of my being. After all, I was a Marylander. I didn't really know what that meant, since I had eaten crab on only one or two occasions and rode on the Metro maybe twice as many times. But scenes from the movie Sweet Home Alabama confirmed my worst fears of the South and I was determined never to embrace such a backwards identity.
But Birmingham, AL honestly turned out to be a beautiful place, with rolling hills, mountains and lush forests which seamlessly mingle with the towns which comprise it... Oh and the people! Southern hospitality does exists (on the flip side, so does Southern racism, on occasion... but it's a small blot). Some of the most important friendships I made all trace back to that my time in Birmingham. Also, it took me years to discover this, and going to an amazing liberal arts college helped, but Birmingham has many amazing artists and it has a decidedly diverse and open-minded Art scene! Unfortunately, I didn't get to be a part of it, since the realization came near the end of my University career and we moved to Dallas soon after I graduated. =(
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| Aldridge Gardens on a rainy October evening, Birmingham, AL |
So that's my rant about my beloved Birmingham. If you had told me I'd be amongst its most avid defenders 10 years ago, I would have groaned and probably been embarrassed. Back then, Alabama was a state my eyes didn't even catch on the map... so I wasn't even sure where it was.
Well that was kind of a long-winded explanation about my feelings for Dallas! But it was necessary to make you understand why flat, treeless, brown and crumbling Dallas was so offensive to my aesthetic as a photographer and, more importantly, my soul, which thrives on natural beauty. But the Dallas I described, the one I was introduced to, I now realize is one facet of just some areas in Dallas. And it's not fair for me to paint all of Dallas with such criticism. So last weekend, Adam and I and another friend went out to discover Dallas. We walked around the Art District, visited the Dallas Museum of Art, ate from the food trucks at the corner of Leonard and Flora St. and enjoyed a sunset from Pioneer Plaza amongst bronze statues of longhorns being driven by three horse riding cowboys. (Sorry for the quality of the pictures on the left; they are from my cell phone.)The best part, however, was when we were leaving the plaza, Adam, in his voice which carries *ahem*, said, "We gotta pray soon!" (referring to our dusk prayer) and a middle-aged man with a kind face near us exclaimed, "Let's all pray together!" We weren't really sure where this was going, but we smiled at each other and gathered in a small circle, the three of us, him and his wife, with our heads bowed. The gentleman lifted his arms and gently, protectively enclosed them around the small group and said one of the most beautiful and sincere prayers I have heard in the English language. His words exalted God, His magnificence and spoke of our desperate love and need for Him; He asked God to encompass us in our lives, lift us to Him, bless us and our new friendship. Friendship. I was startled and deeply moved as I heard him say this word, as I realized that I really did feel a deep connection with this couple despite the fact that I didn't even know their names! We parted ways with high-fives, spiritually intimate yet complete strangers in the worldly sense. Also, how many prayers do you know that end with high-fives?! Moments like this are what enliven the soul and restore faith in humanity. It was an amazing feeling. And yeah, Dallas ain't that bad. =)
The next day we went for a hike on the last wildlife preserve in all of Dallas... the photo from yesterday was a preview. The rest will have to wait until tomorrow!
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| That's me in front of the Dallas Museum of Art! |
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