Being friendly with people who are doing the wrong thing in old-time, and modern Phoenix
I've always been a friendly person. It was the way that I was raised, in Minnesota, waving at people and saying hello. I've always been a bit of a shy person, and I just like the idea of trying to turn as many strangers into friends as I can as I go through life. And I've suddenly realized that I particularly like being friendly with people who are doing the wrong thing. I'll see if I can explain.
Like everything that people do, "the wrong thing" is open to interpretation. And I've never, ever, met anyone who hasn't at one time been a bit nervous that they may be doing the wrong thing. It may be intentional, or it may be a matter of ignorance. The best example that I can give is looking at the photo at the top of this post, from 1908, and wondering if the horse is parked correctly? And if it, uh, "does its business" do I need to scoop it up into a "horsey bag"?
The list of these kinds of things go on and on. And sometimes it's a matter of law, with fear of an expensive fine, or maybe being thrown into the hoosegow, and sometimes it's a matter of convention, with the fear that someone from the Santa Fe office will come out and punch you in the nose!
I've known people who are so nervous about whether they might be doing something wrong or not that the moment you look at them, they jump! My heart has always gone out to these people, whom I call "little chipmunks", as they scurry out into the open and scurry right back into their tree for safety. In circumstances where they can't escape, like waiting in line for something, if they talk to me I'll immediately go into reassuring mode. I especially like to say, "You're fine!"
When I was a teacher, I learned to watch for people who were interested in finding how close to the edge they could get, and for some people it's just what makes life interesting for them. And it does tend to be something that's built into the creative personality - give them any chance they'll take it, give them rule they'll break it, and I would just try to guide their energies into something more practical than standing under a "no smoking" sign and lighting a cigarette, into maybe creating something in Photoshop that no one had ever seen before.
Of course, there are always the "who's gonna make me?" people, who when they realize that they shouldn't steal horses, or rob stagecoaches, just wait for lawmen like Henry Garfias to make them, who was very convincing with a six-gun!
Speaking for myself, as confident as I may seem to be, I really can't get enough of people who encourage me. Sometimes I wonder if I'm writing too much about Phoenix history, or too little? Are there too many obscure references, like to Garfias, or not not enough? And while I really do appreciate people who find errors, or typos, it's nice to hear "you're fine" every once in a while. Most of us are trying to do the right thing, and that's always been true, and always will be.
Thank you for time-traveling with me today!
Image at the top of this post: the northwest corner of Central and Adams, Phoenix, Arizona. The building is still there, although it was re-skinned in the 1950s, and the last time I looked it was a Dunkin Donuts.
If you like pictures of old-time Phoenix, please become a member of History Adventuring on Patreon. I share a LOT of cool old photos there, copyright-free, with no advertising. Your support makes it happen! Thank you!
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