Perspective and The Car Parked Outside Part 3

This week I was fortunate enough to have an online chat with a fellow blogger, Nataly De La Pena and reader of Life on Regis Way.

We began our conversation discussing Nataly’s recent posting about the Catholic Church.

Nataly
One of my main arguments was that in order to really get to know a "different" place you must be open minded, it doesn’t just help to go to the place.
12:20am

Me
I completely agree. That's actually kind of great insight for me when I was critiquing manhattan beach
12:22am

Nataly
i guess it sort of got inspired from the journals that we read about the two girls in east l.a.
12:22am

Me
because they just went there but didn't exactly immerse themselves in the culture per se?
12:25am

Nataly
yes. Well what I was getting into was the fact that you can go to a place, a "different spot", and observe and criticize, but like you say that is not enough to really "live" the culture of that place.
12:26am

Me
So true. I found it really difficult to critique a place that I didn't personally live in or know first hand all that much about.





Nataly really got me thinking about the authority we have as writers. Who am I to say that the people in Manhattan Beach are mostly pretentious snobs? I don’t know everyone who lives there do I?

So, do I have the authority to write about Regis Way? Even though I live here, sometimes I question whether I am properly representing the space I’m talking about.


On another note, Nataly reminded me that there has been a story I have been forgetting to tell you all!




Nataly
Hey what ever happened to that car that was parked outside your house? I remember commenting that it was like a character in your blog because there were continuous blog postings about it.
12:35am

Me
I've been meaning to blog about it! It’s actually a really complicated story. So first, I finally met him! I was parking behind him when the exchange occurred. It was kind of awkward because we both pulled up at the same time and I went to say hello and he kind of stumbled out of his car and dropped this brown paper bag he was carrying. And out fell... a bottle of Jack. I was kind of blown away because he looked like this sweet older man. And then its like he just came back from the Gas station at 10am, probably already drunk. I think he may have a drinking problem.

Nataly
NO WAY, really? That's a crazy story. I think you should blog about it, like i told you the car is like a character in your blog. In fact, its one of the first things i remember about your blog
12:44am

Me
And it gets even better!! So Then he walked across the street and a few houses over and it looks like he lives in the garage… I do not know if he’s related to the people who live in the main house or what but it all seems kind of weird.
And then, a few days later there were two fire trucks and an ambulance outside that house
12:44am

Nataly
what????
12:44am

Me
and I haven’t seen him since and now his car is parked in their driveway
12:45am

Nataly
That's crazy, its like a soap opera, haha.
12:45am

Me
i know. i never thought so many interesting things could happen on one street. But when you really open your eyes and start looking, you'd be surprised what you start to notice
12:46am



…And it’s true. Once you begin to observe a place, even if its familiar to you with a new ‘lens’ or a new outlook, you will often see a lot more than you used to.

So, I may or may not be representing Regis Way the way my neighbor or an outsider would, but I guess the conclusion I’ve come to is that I shouldn’t! What makes blogs unique is that everyone has a different perspective.

And this is Life on Regis Way as I see it.

The Car Parked Outside Part 2

Check out that empty spot!!

You'll never believe it.

Right after I wrote the previous post, (no joke, the next day) the blue car vanished. Poof. No car in front of my house. Did the owner read my blog? There is no telling, but I can't begin to explain to you my extreme delight when I noticed the car was gone! I immediately moved my precious silver Ford Escape forward and reclaimed the best parking spot in front of my house.

Unfortunately, later in the afternoon when I went to go get groceries, the ugly blue car had returned and taken its place back in it's usual spot. Grrrr... I'm waging war with the mystery owner. (who I have still yet to meet or even see for that matter....)

The Car Parked Outside

There is a dark blue dodge neon that parks in front of my house every day. Or should I say is parked, because it never leaves!

Okay, I know it does, because it is always moving up or back a few inches, but I have never actually seen it leave.

It bothers me for two reasons. One, it takes one of the best spots on the street, and two, it is by far the ugliest car I have ever seen. The entire roof is covered with large rings of orange rust and white spots where blue paint should be, the bumper hangs off one end of the rear, and the back left door is smashed in.

I have yet to figure out who the vehicle belongs to, but I’ve decided I’m going to camp out in the front of my house and wait for them to leave, so I can take the front parking spot of my house back!

Cheater Cheater Pumpkin Eater

Every morning I wake up at 7am to get ready for class. Mr. Jones is my alarm clock. The rev of the engine of his silver four-door Ford pickup truck jerks me awake at 7 o’clock on the dot every morning.

On my way out the door at 7:50am, I say hi to Mrs. Jones. She barely has enough energy to mumble ‘good morning’ back, as she rushes all three of her children out of the house and into her green minivan.

At approximately 12:30pm every afternoon, I stop back at home. The black Audi A8 is always already there, but parked in different places. Sometimes it’s parked in front of the Jones’ house, sometimes in front of mine, and other times down the street.

I’ve only actually seen the man who owns the car twice. The first time I saw him, it was because I came home early. He was wearing black dress pants, a crisp ironed long-sleeved navy and white striped collared shirt, and black loafers. He was very handsome.

I actually didn’t think much about him until I saw him the fourth or fifth time. Mrs. Jones and the mystery man were out on her front porch, shamelessly canoodling on the blue cushioned porch swing chair. It was then that I finally realized he wasn’t her lawyer, employee, or brother-in-law that came over everyday to say hello.

It seems to be that Mrs. Jones is having an affair!