Jason Driskill

Percy had another fit of seizures last night.

He has seizures from time to time. They gradually seem to be getting more frequent. It’s really alarming when it happens, his body goes rigid, he has no muscle control at all, his eyes usually roll back, and he drools a lot. They usually come in sets of two, lasting about twenty minutes altogether. All I can do is hold him and speak to him in a soothing voice, telling him that it’s going to be okay. I think the gentle words are more for my benefit than his. When his epileptic fits are over, he’s completely normal again hopping around as if nothing ever happened.

This morning I realized that I hadn’t left the house in an entire week, except a couple times to get groceries down the street. I decided that I had to leave the house and do something - anything, even though I only have $20 to my name. There are plenty of things to do that cost nothing, and I needed to get out of the house and remind myself of where I am. It’s easy to forget what a majestic place the world can be when you keep your head pulled in your shell.

I decided to do something a little touristy - as touristy as I can stand, anyway. And I love iconic scenery (falling into that notion of cultural myths and symbols) and since I haven’t been to the Golden Gate Bridge since I drove across it last summer to go to the nude hippy hot spring, I decided that this particular landmark was the obvious choice. And what a pleasant surprise - you can walk across it!

This is the view of San Francisco from the bridge. As soon as i stepped off the bus (#28 and #29 both go right up to the bridge) I realized how touristy it is - I felt as if I’d just walked into a theme park. Fortunately most of the tourists are congregated at the eastern foot of the bridge and don’t venture further than a quarter of the ways across it. Despite the constant sound of traffic, the hike across the bridge is really kind of pleasant. And how could it not be? The magnificent architecture, the incredible view, the perfect weather, the silly tourists snapping pictures and blocking the sidewalk… it made me smile, and I kept smiling the entire 1.7 miles across and back.

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The vertical cables that suspend the bridge are in sections of four, and are each as thick as my ankle… which actually isn’t that thick. The horizontal cables are massive bundles of smaller cables, there’s a cross section outside of the gift-shop - it’s really fascinating. It’s more than that, in fact. It’s awe-inspiring. The entire structure is so massive in its presence and design and function. I must say that there are plenty of things that we encounter daily that remind us of how evil humankind can be. This, however, is one of those achievements that causes me to marvel at how people are capable of transcending the basic petty animalistic nonsense that seems to drive most of the evil in the world. And beyond the immediate function of the bridge is the fact that it’s a worldwide icon - in movies, television shows, commercials etc as something great and beautiful. There’s something bridge-like in that, don’t you think?

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I got a pretty nice sunburn by the time I left - not quite the same shade of red as the bridge, but close. It’s totally worth it. It was the perfect medicine to shake me out of the job-searching slump and remind me of what my immediate goals are: get a job and enjoy life.

They don’t have to be in that order.