OB Walkabout in the Plague Year, Part 5

A positive sentiment along the flood control channel

by Joaquin Antique

Here comes another one, just like the other one. One day seems to morph into another.  It’s almost like Groundhog Day all over again. Or it would be, except for the brutal murder of a young Minnesota man and the mainly righteous response it provoked.

It’s taken this OBcean to new levels of depression. Have we really made so little progress that such abuse has to occur again and again? How is it that when my son’s friends got busted smoking in the parking lot of the Christian Science church across from Point Loma High, all they got was a lecture and were not allowed to walk at graduation instead of ending up beaten, arrested, or killed like what could have happened if they were African-American kids in Minnesota, Georgia, or Florida. Or Oakland, California. Or on the sand in Ocean Beach.

I’m not even sure I should be posting another (hopefully) humorous Walkabout feature at a time like this. I put together these photo essays to highlight the humanity, follies, and creativity of our beach community, but maybe this is a time when such things are irrelevant.

I had this discussion with a friend who encouraged me to go ahead with this article and pointed out, “even when JFK and Dr. King were assassinated or after the Kent State killings, newspapers still printed a comics section”. I guess he’s right. We might need a bit of (mainly) positivity right about now. So here’s another OB Walkabout. Some of the pictures might make you smile about our little island in the midst of reality, but don’t spend too long on the article, it’s lightweight, ephemeral, and escapist.

There is serious shit going down right now. Educate yourself by reading the unpleasant and uncomfortable articles in the RAG and elsewhere about racism, our national shame. Do anything you can to help make sure this is a country safe for everyone and take a stand against the forces that justify and implement such brutal discrimination as well as the more subtle and insidious forms racism can take.

Having dispensed the downer message above, here are some pictures taken mainly over the last few days though there are also couple from last month.

(All photos by Joaquin Antique)

Dog Beach at 9:30 on Sunday, May 31. Things were chill but the beach got more crowded as the day progressed

The main beach was pretty empty too

This sign will become outdated today, June 2, as we will now be allowed to spread out our towels and hang out on the beach.  If people don’t let it get too far out of hand.

Work continues on the new bridge across the San Diego River as this view from the bike path shows

Sponge Bob is staying socially responsible up on the hill

Bad news at Roberto’s.  Oh the humanity!

Someone at Bo beau moved the cones and unilaterally opened the closed city lot next to their restaurant for a staff safety education meeting. Looks like they will be reopening soon.  Wonder if this public “beach lot” which, oddly enough is not in OB (like Robb Field it’s officially part of Mission Bay Park), will be opened for Bo beau’s customers.

One of our neighbors puts up a regular “broadside” in the best tradition of our founding fathers and mothers

Sophisticated sidewalk chalk art in our town

You can always count on OBceans to come up with a new variation on drinking games.