Explorations

Oh what a beautiful Saturday here in the Great Green North!  I had a relaxing morning with many adventures and events that could only occur here.  I saw many things for the first time, like an electric lawn mower, a single cab Ford F-250, and a “rummage sale” instead of a yard sale (trust me, wasn’t classy enough to be a rummage sale… much too junky). 

I woke up early this morning to no one being awake.  I’m an abnormal college kid, so when you wake up at 7:30 in the morning you are quite alone.  I grabbed my essay, “Dehumanized: When Math and Science Rule the School” by Mark Slouka (excellent read on the marginalization of the humanities- I recommend everyone read it) and finished it for Freshman Seminar on Tuesday.  I was just starting on Descartes’ Discourse on Human Method for my Modern Philosophy class when I realized that I was: a) bored, b) hungry, c) ready to explore, so I dressed, grabbed my book and headed off to see the big city. 

Note the sarcasm of “big city” as I walked through the streets of Eureka.  I left the campus with a pep in my step and a bit of pride in my stride.  I went down one avenue where I walked past the home of two professors here at the college, one who is my advisor, one who is my honor’s advisor (they’re married). My honor’s advisor was mowing the grass and she stopped her (electric) lawn mower to ask how my first Saturday was and I replied with a “just fabulous.”  I then asked her how to wander over to Main Street and she pointed to my left and said, “It’s one block that way.”

Not wanting to be awkward, I kept on my trail as she was busy and I was on a quest to see things previously unseen.  I went on and eventually turned and I found the business section of Eureka.  Unlike in Oklahoma, here the downtown is still the center and the buildings are all occupied so everything looks good, used, happy and whole.  I found what I was looking for, which was Mika’s Coffee House.  I had heard about Mika’s from both my senior ministry fellow friend and from the provost of the college.  (I had never heard of “provost” before coming to Eureka, but to my understanding it is the coordinator/leader of all aspects of student life: academics, athletics, and housing/programming.) 

As I was walking I happened to spy my appearance in the windows of the shops.  I looked like I just rolled out of bed, which indeed is what I had done, but I didn’t want anybody else to know that (except you, my loyal readers).  No wonder Dr. Barr looked at me funny!  At first I feared people thinking I was trying to “work last night out of me” but I realized if I had had a last night like the some of the people still in bed, I would still be in bed.  In short, I looked like a teenaged version of either a tweaker or a college student lackadaisical about his appearance.  I think I hope people thought the later. 

It was a quaint little place.  They used dining room furniture for the tables where they could; couches and knick knacks lined the walls.  It was a coffee shop indeed!  I had a blueberry bagel and a cup of Mocha something or other.  It came out to $5, but considering that is all the money I have spent this week, other than the Wal-Mart shopping I did to make my dorm room more functional, I was happy to spend a bit.  I sat and ate and observed the people coming and going. 

One man spied the Descartes book I had brought along in case I felt the urge to read (I didn’t).  He asked if I was a philosophy major with a knowing grin on his face.  I hate being branded, but he caught me so I simply replied, “How did you know?”

“Well, most people don’t read Descartes for fun on a Saturday morning.”

“Drat,” I thought, “caught again.”  We talked on and off about the book, he knew much about it, but I had no clue as I had not read but the first section, so it was an educational experience.  He goes to another school as a commuter; he also lives on the second floor in the adjacent building and affectionately calls Mika’s his ‘living room’. 

After spending some time in the café (about an hour- Mika’s has Wi-Fi that worked on my iPhone, which Eureka seldom does) and only seeing families, a middle aged women’s bible study, junior high girls, and some Reagan Fest 5K runners, I determined it was time to set out again to explore my new home.  I walked south (I think it was south… for the purpose of today it was south) and went by Eureka Christian Church, which is where I will church tomorrow.  I turned west and saw the rummage sale.  It was mostly flasks, shot glasses, piggy banks, and wall ornaments.  The vendor and presumed occupant of the house was a wonderful man though and he had a precious dog that was a half chow/lab mix.  Sweet dog, but definitely made for cooler weather and I disappointed her by not having a dog biscuit like the last shopper. 

From there I went on the local grocery store, which is an IGA.  It is similar to Apple Market or maybe Save-a-Lot in Ada, except a bit more condensed.  It definitely had every food staple I could think of; however, if it wasn’t food, it would not be in IGA.   I trekked for a few more blocks and spied I good ledge where I could plop down and call Kathy to compare my northern living notes to hers. 

It was interesting to me how compact the towns are.  They were designed to be walked, and indeed I could walk everywhere.  School, church, store, shopping- I could do it all by foot and more.  Unlike the cities on “the other side” of the Mississippi, Eureka had been urbanized long before the automobile and had much less room to grow when the car came.  If I was to guess, it was made small by choice, simply for easier mobility and community.  The lots are smaller than at home, I would say two of our lots make three of theirs (except in places like OKC or in the hearts of rural communities- think like the lots by East Central).  When the horseless carriage came, they had set up a way of life and were forced to accommodate.  Okies, on the other hand, built most of our cities with driving in my mind and as the primary source of transportation (think of how hard it is to get to Valley View, the store, school, etc., without a car in Ada).  

After talking with Kathy for a time (during the conversation my philosophy professor drove by and waved) I started walking east again to head home at the college.  After passing the two storied, bay windowed, wood sided homes I came back onto campus glistening as the sun had made its influence known.

Now I am here with a bit more knowledge of my new community but still haunted by section two of Discourse on Human Method but happy.  I’ll do some laundry, grab my book, maybe see parts of the football scrimmage, and enjoy the rest of my Saturday here in Eureka, Illinois.

If Saturdays are all like this (and I know they won’t be- but I can hope) I will enjoy Eureka much more.  If they’re not, I’ll live, as I have enough homework to keep a rented mule occupied. 

By the by- two things!  First is I have SO many blog topics!  Don’t worry, I won’t run out soon (in the course of a day, I normally write one and think of two more).  However, it is hard to write more than one as just writing the one usually takes a good thirty minutes.

Second is if you ever want to get me a gift I always need stamps.  I like to write letters (eventually you all will get a letter if I have anything to say about it) but the postal service is rather expensive.  So if you want to send something my way, stamps are always a good option. 

Thanks!  Con mucho amor,

Colton