Maya Angelou:
I can’t let a blog post go by without marking the passing of a great Arkansawyer and a great American.
Maya Angelou rose from a sharecropper’s shack in deeply segregated, Jim-Crow Arkansas to become Poet Laureate of the United States. A brilliant woman. There will be other brilliant people, but Ms. Angelou had a unique ability to string words together exquisitely. She was personal, personable, and had a great perspective. (alliteration, do I get extra style points?). Her last tweet (May 23, 2014): “Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.”
Rest in peace, Maya.
>>o<<
I’m lucky:
I was busy feeling sorry for myself the other night (so what else is new?). I had had a rough day at work (rougher than most), and was complaining (read: whining) about it. I was in the kitchen, Matt was in the living room. Very, very quietly, he said, “You have a beautiful home and are surrounded by people who love you. Sounds like a great day to me.”
BAM. Right between the eyes. I’m writing that on a post-it and putting it on my computer.
>>o<<
Houston Proud:
The fourth largest city in the United States of America, a city which has 3 times elected an openly-gay Mayor because she is damn good at her job, a city I’m proud to call my home, just passed the H.E.R.O. The “Houston Equal Rights Ordinance” “…bans discrimination based not just on sexual orientation and gender identity but also, as federal laws do, sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, pregnancy and genetic information, as well as family, marital or military status.” –Houston Chronicle, 2014-05-29
The measure passed 11-6 and Mayor Parker immediately signed it. The law became effective when she did so.
Houston now joins California, New York, and other enlightened areas in banning discrimination of any form; it’s the first Texas city to do so.
The bill had the full backing of Houston business, “Big Oil”, and other groups.
Kudos to Houston!
>>o<<
Love Field, Part 3:
I had two meetings in Dallas today; thanks to “The Company Plane” (one of Southwest Airlines’ old slogans), I flew up this morning, went to my meetings, and managed to get the 3:15 back to Houston.
Love Field has undergone a metamorphosis; they’re rebuilt it as Houston rebuilt Hobby a few years back; the old Main Terminal Building is now the “entrance hall” for the beautiful new airport.
One of the features that was in the original main lobby (very futuristic for 1957) was a world map, polar view, executed in terrazzo. As a kid, I was always completely fascinated by this map. I still think it’s wonderful. It was exciting, it conveyed the idea that you were “going somewhere” and that “the world is waiting”.
Throughout the various iterations of Love Field (including the ice rink installed over it), the map has remained. Recently, it’s been covered up with the TSA Security lines.
They’ve now roped it off and it shines in all its glory. It made me happy at 7, and it makes me happy at 57.
I couldn’t go past the roped-off areas, but notice that the silver lines converge on Dallas…
And, just a couple of gratuitous shots:
Taking off from Houston at 6:30 am
Arriving Dallas 7:30 am
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