I was so young, at the time. So impressionable.
Those old downtown buildings… I’d just stand there, gazing at them, totally transfixed. They were so svelte.
That old Midwestern look was stimulating.
Then, after that, the old English buildings were really getting to me, tickling my fancy.
What chimneys! What curves! Always making me yearn for more.
Better, even, than Midwestern buildings.
Those porticoes! To this day, I’m still lusting, I’ve got to admit.
New York… tantalizing, in some ways, too. And in some ways, San Francisco and Los Angeles — not the chimneys or porticoes, necessarily, but some of the styles and shapes. Exciting.
Which brings me to what I can only imagine about Pagosa Springs, since I’ve not yet been out your way. Imagining your countryside. And your old downtown.
Chimney-wise and portico-wise, whether buildings in Pagosa measure up, or not, is hard to tell.
But that’s okay, as long as your town’s essence, its warmth and charm, can be preserved. If that’s at all possible.
Harvey Radin is former senior vice president in charge of corporate communications and media relations, Bank of America Western Region. He makes his home in Redwood City, CA.