By Charlotte K. Jarmy

Reflections

It’s good to return from LaLa land with its confusion of constant freeways. The rush to somewhere makes one wonder if any of the cars are permanently stranded, forever lost on the maze of concrete highways. What a contrast to the Bay Area where we have so many surface streets and so few freeways. I did enjoy the glamorous homes. Too bad so many are surrounded by high walls to keep the curious from gawking. At home we can gawk but mutter at the newness of monster homes, more being built every day.

Another difference is L.A.’s whole-hearted recognition of being the entertainment capital of the world. Spotlights seek the heavens, and street names celebrate the stars of yesterday, like cowboy heroes Gene Autry and John Wayne. In the Bay Area, we honor popular icons of our time, like Herb Caen and respected leaders, like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez. San Francisco plans to memorialize baseball great, Joe DiMaggio by naming a local playing field after him.

As far as the book signings went, I struck out- (neat transition from the sentence before.) Store managers claimed that the Olympics defeated me. After Harry Potter in Seattle and the Olympics in Los Angeles, what can happen next? Maybe Streisand will change her mind and do a second farewell concert at Shoreline Amphitheater. Or maybe Joe Lieberman will change places with Al Gore and announce the decision on all television channels. He’d make the perfect compassionate Democrat. (kidding)

Despite some regrets, it’s good to be home again. Los Altos is a lovely small town where I have lived for thirty-seven years, watching it grow and improve with time. Our local paper, the Town Crier, continues to grow and improve along with the town.

What I value highly is that I am part of an organization that champions freedom of speech. While I write about local concerns, I also share my feelings about personal family matters, love and pain, and, rarely, national news that may involve many of us.

We do not live in a vacuum here in our small town; we are not guaranteed happiness because we are surrounded by beauty, nor can we be blinded to the perils of history that have the sad tendency to be repeated. That is why some columns on the evils of the past become part of my concerns for the future. Reflections, as this column is called, reveals my opinions and worries, my musings about the world of nature and the nature of man.

A local paper certainly has room for such thoughts. It can mirror the silent concerns of many of its readers. We breathe the air of freedom when all who wish to share their memories and values are encouraged to do so. So bless our town paper and bless our town.

I am home again. It feels so good.

Charlotte K. Jarmy , a Los Altos resident, is a longtime free-lance writer for the Town Crier.