Playing God at the Mariott

Gee, what a mysterious title I gave this post! It might seem as if I held someone's life in my hand while staying overnight at a fancy hotel.

Actually, it's not really about God or holding life, but rather about a landscaping job I just finished at the Mariott hotel.... (this is where the movie fades into a flashback).

A few months ago I was hired to create a small waterfall at a friend's house in Scotts Valley. This friend, "Willie" (I am actually using his real name, but I like the quotes anyway) had recently done some excavating work and there was this hillside that just begged for a waterfall.

I could totally see it in my mind and, after convincing him that this vision I was having for his backyard would be worth it, he gave me the go-ahead.

So I started digging a little here and there, purchased a truckload of rocks, a pond liner, and some plants, and began to create a man made "natural" waterfall.

He mentioned to me in the process that he would have to show it to his neighbor who is also a landscaper.

I thought to myself, "Sure... show it to him and everyone else you can. I love showing off my work. Heck, maybe I will get another job out of it. "

Several days later the pond and waterfall took shape as I hand selected each and every rock, inspected it, turned it over and over and decided whether it would go here or there, or nowhere.

"I am creating and I mustn't be rushed!" I tell myself and anyone else who might have overheard me talking to myself.

Well, a couple of weeks later it was done and I turned it on and "voila!", the water flowed just like I imagined it would. I began planting little grasses and ivies, and ferns from elsewhere in the redwoods, trying to make it look as if it had always been there.

Willie was thrilled, as was I.

Then I got a phone call from Willie saying the the landscaper neighbor saw my work and wanted to hire me to work with him on a project at the Mariott.

THE MARIOTT!!!!!!!???????

Yes, the Santa Clara Mariott. Yes, me.

I went over to meet the neighbor, Toby, and asked him what this was all about.

"I liked the way you placed your grasses, " he said. "I need someone to help install the entryway of the hotel - the most visible and important part of this big landscape we are installing, and I can tell you have the artistic eye to do it."

"You can tell that by this little pond?" I wondered. Okay, we will see...

(There is a whole other story that goes in here about me wondering if I should take this job, as it would change the direction of my life... but that's, as I said, another story.)

So a couple of weeks later I get this phone call saying that I needed to be in Santa Clara at the hotel ready to work at.... 7:30..... AM! 

Sorry for those of you who regularly get up and are at work at this time, but for this "artist", I usually get UP around that time and spend the next couple of hours writing emails, puttering around and waking up at my own speed.

This would mean that I would be getting up, dressed, and at work before the sun rose. Yuck!

So I set my alarm, dragged myself out of bed, and got there by 7:30 AM.

As soon as I got out of the car I was greeted with things like:

"Okay, where do you want the boulders? The crane and crew is waiting!"

"Which ones do you want? The forklift driver needs to know..."

"What's it going to look like from the back?"

"It needs to be done by Monday!" (less than a week away)

Remember when I mentioned that this little pond I did took me a couple of weeks?

Well, here was this HUGE project involving cranes, forklifts, and boulders, and it needed to be done in days, not weeks.

I asked for a little time to "get acquainted with the space" and to "see" what it was going to look like and then I would jump in. They moved on to other pressing matters.

I moseyed around the boulders feeling totally lost, until I found "Half Dome".

I ran back to the entryway and saw it's future location, then ran back to the boulders to see if it would work. I could see it! I would create Yosemite right there at the Mariott!!!

I would put Half Dome right there, and then Nevada and Vernal falls would wrap around the back. The Merced river would flow down from the waterfall... up here would be Tuolomne Meadows... it all came into view and I, master of the universe, would create it! (This is where a beam of sun shone down on me through the clouds and a band of angels began singing.)

A couple of workers were sent to help me, and in my best broken Spanish, I directed them to "put 2 rocks there" and to "dig a hole deeper". Little by little the landscape began to take shape and the flight attendants, pilots and valets all started to stop and marvel as this natural wonder took shape right before their very eyes.

It all got done in time, thanks to the work of several hard working laborers, and I managed NOT to get hurt or too sore in the process.

I am glad I forced myself to get up early, and to take the job in the first place. The place looks great and I have had many compliments. My buddy Stan came by to see it and I can't wait to show it off to my other friends over a cocktail or two.

It doesn't look like Yosemite to anyone else, but I see it. I made it.

Us Vs. Them - Politics and Life

As much as I am loathe to discuss politics anywhere, I find myself wanting to comment on it's insidious nature, as demonstrated by a recent gathering I hosted. Allow me to explain:

Recently, my partner and I offered to help a local friend and political candidate by hosting a meet and greet at our house. The objective, in my mind, was to introduce her to some of my friends and acquaintances and offer an opportunity to ask real questions in real time about the political process: hers in particular, and what she was planning to do should she win the election.

It all began quite nicely, I must say. Honest questions about directions she would take and honest answers, it would seem, about the reality of any one politician being able to do a lot in a short time. (Not likely, as I understand it.)

Then the subject changed to a local topic, namely a housing development in a small town in our area. Obviously a hot button issue, I quickly saw the group's energy polarize as one of the guests voiced questions in seeming opposition.

He was answered with statements like:

"Would you rather have 5 McMansions instead of dozens of homes, some of which would be affordable housing?"

The word NIMBYism was thrown about a few times.

And suddenly the room was tense, as this guest continued to ask questions - real questions, thought out, polite and brave, considering the majority of the room seemed to be in agreement to the contrary.

As for me, I certainly didn't feel comfortable voicing my opinions with these friends, as I found myself leaning towards those of the "enemy", as he was later referred to, though for different reasons which I needn't get into.

No, the reason for getting together was to ask and learn about the canidate, not to argue local politics. At least that is what I had been thinking.

But let's put all that aside for a moment and let me opine on what I think is really the problem:
The problem is that we keep expecting a politician to perform for our state or country what we can't even do with a living room full of friends, namely listen and be respectful. To gang up and jump on someone stating their concerns is NOT the way to behave, I am certain.

We don't all agree and that's the way it is. Now what?

For a group of people claiming to represent the little people, the have nots, the less fortunate... for those who decry the intolerance of others.... well, let me say that I saw little tolerance that evening.

Again, allow me to ask the question, "How and why do we expect politicians to do that which we cannot do ourselves?"

Me versus you. Us versus them. Poor versus rich. Gay versus straight. Democrat versus Republican... It's all selfish and bullshit.

We are all one people on one planet and the sooner we stop defending ourselves against each other, the sooner we will see problems diminish. The sooner we stop dividing ourselves among ourselves...

Needless to say, that is the last time I will offer to host anything political again, as it is clear that people weren't really there to learn anything, but rather to find support to further dig their heels in deeper in their beliefs.

But then again, this is just my opinion.