Day 20: I Am A Tourist

Ah, another Friday. But, unlike last Friday I decided not to bemoan the fact that I still have work to do over the weekend. Instead, I decided to take a bit longer on my walk and act like a tourist in my own town. So, I walked up to the Del Amo Financial Center (oh yeah, it is a big tourist draw didn't you know that)? Or, it could be the next site for the OWS (Occupy Wall Street) movement because there's a great fountain in the middle with benches and grass all around it and coffee places close by, at least 5 Star-yucks, er, Starbucks that I counted.

As I walked, I decided to sit on one of those benches and watch the fountains and enjoy the moment. Here's a couple of shots of what the fountains looked like today.

It's funny, when I was a kid, I always thought this was the most glamorous place around, the tall building and all the offices. Now, it just looks like a dated, circa early 1970's complex but the fountains and the pond still bring me a nostalgic smile.

As I sat there, I thought about how I have come full circle, living in the city I was born in and how the majority of the time, I feel like I don't fit, like I really am a tourist in my own town.

Naturally, there's a song for that (please, it's me, why wouldn't I have a connection to a song). Death Cab For Cutie's "You Are A Tourist" really fits, not just because I acted like a tourist in my own town, but because the lyrics reflect what I feel.

"You Are A Tourist"

This fire grows higher
This fire grows higher
This fire grows higher
This fire grows higher

When there's a burning in your heart
An endless yearning in your heart
Build it bigger than the sun
Let it grow, let it grow
When there's a burning in your heart
Don't be alarmed

This fire grows higher

When there's a doubt within your mind
Because you're thinking all the time
Framing rights into wrongs
Move along, move along
When there's a doubt within your mind

When there's a burning in your heart
And you think it'll burst apart
Or there's nothing to fear
Save the tears, save the tears
When there's a burning in your heart

And if you feel just like a tourist in the city you were born
Then it's time to go
And define your destination
There's so many different places to call home
Because when you find yourself the villain in the story you have written
It's plain to see
That sometimes the best intentions are in need of redemptions
Would you agree?
If so please show me