The Most Impressive Thing About California Was . . .

To me, one of the things that impressed me most about California was not the beach nor the mountains, beautiful as they were.  It was how cars stopped for pedestrians while crossing the street. This happened wherever we went, but most prominent in the small towns, like Hanford. Being a Jersey guy where vengeful people in vehicles would just as soon run you over than spit at you, to demonstrate how they were king, cars stopping for pedestrians seemed unlikely and far out there. It gave off the air that things in California were different, that perhaps collective society DID give a damn about the individual, that maybe from this simple act, there were were other customs to be found in which preconceived notions like “being first is best,” “fast is better than slow,” and “frantic is better than mellow,” would be turned upside down and done the right way, for the sake of the soul. It surprised me when I first realized how much this meant to me. As a 17 year-old, of course I was in awe of the recreational lifestyle, the marvelous Spanish architecture of the houses in the hills, the physical fitness of the people, the gorgeous women. That aside, what got my attention was how cars were patient enough to stop for you in crosswalks (and in some cases, while jaywalking). It was a nice lesson which came from out of nowhere and has stuck with me all these years. I hope it’s still true.