Jesse Joyner, PhD

My brother, BJ, theorizes that during the days of Westward expansion and
settlement in America, the most ambitious people made it all the way to
the West Coast. Then they had to stop because they couldn’t go any
farther. The result is that you have “established” people on the East
Coast, “the give-ups” in the Midwest, and the crazy weirdos with endless
motivation on the West Coast.

Well, I’m not really speechless in Seattle. But I wish I had the words to
describe the “coolness” of this city. This city is more cool than Snoopy
himself. Sarah and I are here in the great city of the Northwest for a
few days for the wedding of some good friends.

I have never been to Seattle before. I must say that I have not been let
down. The people here are eclectic, earthy (they recycle everything), and
open-minded to just about anything. Last night, we went to a Thai
restaurant in Queen Anne’s and a local told us how during the summer, all
the shops and stores have dog treats and water bowls for the canine
population. Now, what other city caters to dogs like that? Where I’m
from in Kentucky, horses are treated like royalty, but dogs are seen as
poop-producing critters.

Sarah and I also went to the famous Pike Street Market. Yes, we saw the
guys who chant at customers and throw fish at one another. That was
pretty neat to see. We knew that the longer we stood there, the more
susceptible we were to becoming a customers without realizing it. So we
continued on through the used book stores, the large magic store (with
juggling equipment) and even “Lefty Store.” That store sold left-handed
scissors, can-openers, and novelty shirts with quotes like, “Hire
Left-Handed People, It’s Fun to Watch Them Write.” Another good one was,
“We’re All Born Right-Handed, Only Some of Us Overcome It.”

Here is another neat thing about Seattle – it is a pedestrian’s city.
Cars honor and respect those on foot and bike more than any other American
city I have visited. The sidewalks are wide and smooth – and the rolling
terrain provides plenty of hillside views of the city, the water, and the
mountains. I wish Sarah and I could spend more time here. I can’t
imagine enjoying the city without her. And we get to attend a sacred
nuptial worship service together tomorrow at 11am. If festivities are
over in time, I might try to make it to the Seattle Juggling Club (Cascade
Jugglers) in the late afternoon. Then we take the red-eye back to
Louisville starting around midnight Saturday.

Now I’m drinking coffee in the city that founded Starbucks. And it’s made
by Anna Abernathy, the hospitable wife of Luke Abernathy (former manager
of the first Starbucks). But more important than that, they are friends
from Taylor and if they respresent the way people are in Seattle, then I
love the people of Seattle.

-Peace Out, Jesse