I made this friends-only for a while, because Rose is getting picked on by the annonymouse Renton masses. (I think they might be taking it all too seriously.)

What do you livejournal friends think I should do?

Here is her article:

I’m not one for resolutions, but invariably at this time of year my thoughts turn to how things could be improved. Not just in my personal life, but on a grander scale: how can we work together to make our living situation better? Here are a few subjects of personal ire that will never be resolved lest we all contribute:

(1) The left lane is for passing. The left lane is for passing. The left lane is for passing. If you’re still not getting it: KEEP RIGHT UNLESS YOU ARE PASSING. Traffic flows much more smoothly when drivers make proper use of the road- and keep in mind that you’re there to get from point A to point B, not to teach others a lesson. You know those times when someone creeps up on you from behind, highbeams a-blazin’, and you mutter: “I’m already doing 60. They don’t need to get past?” Just let them pass anyway. Let them do 70 if they want, and maybe you’ll get the giddy justification of seeing them pulled over further down the freeway. If not, no skin off your nose, right?

(2) While we’re on the subject of not teaching lessons on the roadway, don’t do that thing where you see someone trying to merge coming up from behind you, and you see they’re going to pass you, so you move over to block them- especially not if the actual merge point is 200 yards ahead. If they have enough lane left to get past you, let them get past. You’re just making the backup worse by stopping them before it’s necessary.

(3) As my dad has pointed out many a time, you ever notice that people walk like they drive? Rule number one above applies to walking as well, and this is a critical one in malls. Further, do not stop in the middle of the aisle when you are shopping. This transgression was one I saw countless times over the holidays. I will run into you, if only to prove a point. I know I said no teaching lessons, but it’s less dangerous on foot than by vehicle. If you stop short of me in the middle of Southcenter, expect that I’ll keep going and demonstrate exactly how I’ve been inconvenienced, because it’s infinitely more fulfilling to prove a point about common sense than it is to swerve around you and let you think it’s an acceptable practice.

(4) I’m not sure how this one is fixable, really, but have you ever been in a checkout line for more time than when you shop at Fred Meyer? I could be buying a single box of cereal and going through the U-Scan checkout, and STILL it takes ten minutes, whether I’m on Benson, downtown, or in Crossroads. I guess there’s not a workable solution here; I just needed to get that out there.

(5) Get your coffee anywhere but Starbucks. I know, it’s hard- I have trouble keeping myself away from their ubiquitous stores as well; I can hardly call myself a Starbucks teetotaler. Sometimes it’s just too convenient. And I do recognize that they came from the area so technically buying there is supporting local business, but COME ON. It’s completely, utterly soulless, and there’s better coffee to be had elsewhere. My favorite is Sips on Sunset Blvd, which not only has excellent white chocolate mochas, but also hot baristas. We are the coffee-buying market here, people- the rest of the world doesn’t have a Starbucks on every corner like we do here. Clearly we consume a helluva lot of caffeine, and if that caffeine (and those Joni Mitchell CD’s!) was bought elsewhere, we could take a substantial bite out of the market. Next time you’re complaining about the calories in your Frappucino or burnt taste of your Christmas blend, consider the other local coffee shops and stands that make the area in part what it is, and how their razor-thin profit margin could really use your help.

(6) I guess what I’m getting at here, what the overarching theme is, is: have a little courtesy, huh? You can live a full and fast-paced life without being a total schmuck about it. Pay attention to the people around you. If you accidentally back into them with your pool cue, apologize. If you pull halfway out onto Grady from 167 right in front of someone, wave a sorry and back the hell up. And also, look out for your neighbors. One of the greatest things about my house is the older couple who live across the street and keep an eye on things, while one of the worst things about my boyfriend’s place is that it was broken into twice with no leads. This place is what it is because of the people who are here- take care of each other or I’ll hurt you.

Happy New Year, and may you take an active part in the perpetual betterment of your community.

Rose McMayhem

I’m enthusiastically introducing a new contributer tonight. Rose McMayhem grew up in our city, attended out local schools, graduated from University of Washington, and she writes some of the most creative, funniest journal entries I have read. She has generously agreed to share her writing talent with readers of this blog. Her perspective is younger than mine, which is a good thing, and far less city hall oriented…which is also a good thing. Please let her know what you think about her writing…help me encourage Rose and Keri Kopnick to keep sharing their talents with us by leaving them some comments.

Thanks!

Randy
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Welcome to the South shore of Lake Washington. It’s maligned by many, is home to tens of thousands, and relatively speaking, has a pretty impressive history. In my 3rd grade class at Maplewood Heights, we did a unit on the history of the city, and I, for one, was impressed with how far back we’d been around and what a stake we had in driving the industrialization of the area- between mining, Paccar and Boeing, we were contributing quite a bit to the region as far as jobs and products at the beginning of the 20th century.

All history aside, though, the place is clearly not the pinnacle of white-trash-dom that John Keister would have the greater Seattle Metropolitan area believe (no disrespect, John- I know you have to make a living). Time and time again, when asked where I live, my response is met with a grimace and look of pity- much like the reaction one gets when they own up to a lifestyle so foreign to others that they assume couldn’t possibly have been a conscious choice, but must have happened by accident or coersion. To wit: I’m an atheist (cringe!). I have 10 stepchildren (gasp!). I bought a Ford (you poor thing!).

I had a city-dwelling friend who always made a point to tell others in my presence, apologetically: “She lives in Renton.” And so on; you all know what I mean. They assume there’s something wrong with us.

Don’t feel sorry for me; your pity is unnecessary. In fact, it’s insulting- while some extraneous circumstances may be assumed to exist, in general it’s safe to say that if I hated the place, I wouldn’t live here. On the contrary, 25 of my 27 ½ years have been spent in the little city that’s “ahead of the curve,” and let’s be clear on one thing: it hasn’t been against my will. Yeah, I got out for a little while. Left home after college and spread my wings all the way up in the Central District. Turned out that city life wasn’t for me, though- despite the crowding, everyone kept to themselves a little too much, and everyone had something to prove. So when I was looking to get out, I looked back from where I’d come and bought a little place not far from where I’d grown up- on familiar terrain, and near my dad’s shop (critical to those of us who drive older vehicles).

Did I find it to be a concession; the only feasible location for someone who had to keep her mortgage payments low? Nah, it was exactly what I wanted, and in the 3 years I’ve spent in my chosen neighborhood, I haven’t regretted it.

Well, save for the hoodlum neighbors on one side of me…but every town’s got those; there are jerks everywhere. Same as there are pleasant people everywhere, and we’ve got a surplus of those as well.

No…really. You just have to shake off the patina of prejudice you’ve been burdened with to see that Renton is just another suburb: in reality, it’s no more of a ghetto than the older parts of Bellevue, although people tend to miss that detail because we’re not all upper-middle-class whites here. But yes, it is a suburb, so if that’s the issue people have with it, I can’t defend it. However, if it’s a matter of it being any more or less livable than the surrounding environs, well then, me and my little army of proud Rentonites would like to talk to you.

Suffice it to say it annoys me when people put Renton down: I’ve chosen to live here, I like living here, no amount of good-natured chiding is going to change my mind about that- so take your pity and shove it. Myself and an army of perfectly normal people are happy with this place.

Rose McMayhem