Thursday, March 3, 2011

Signs of Other Times





 I had parked my car recently in front of a rather nondescript building across from the university campus when I saw this sign on the building's wall.  I was aware that the United Nations Charter had been signed in San Francisco; I hadn't realized that Berkeley had played a role as well.  History is made in the most unexpected places.


Berkeley's streets hold many surprises, some unpleasant, some wonderful.  Among the latter are the poems have been embedded in the sidewalk along a downtown street, some on metal plaques, some on multi-colored tiles.  One could spend quite a bit time reading them and have more to show for it than merely a stiff neck.


Other sidewalk tiles recall important events in the history of the city.  Berkeley's reputation for leftist politics is not recently acquired.


 Nor are the non-native trees covering the hillsides.


And the '60s refuse to be forgotten.

No comments: