THEN
August 12, 1967 - Saturday
I decided to take my own
advise so tonight after dinner I went out driving. After I got some
gas I went by the construction site for the new Coronado Bridge. It
consists of a huge strip of earth that, at the moment, is the highest point
in Coronado. For a long time I have wanted to climb to the top of this
mound but the presence of a "no trespassing" sign has always scared me away.
When I drove by today however, I noticed that the sign had fallen over and
that gave me the perfect excuse to go exploring. I parked the car and
started for the top of the hill which was about a half a mile away. I
had a feeling of great curiosity as I walked because I had no idea what I
would find at the top. Its been a long time since I felt that feeling,
after all, Coronado isn't exactly full of places I haven't seen.
As I reached the top I found
what must be the best view in San Diego County. On the other hand, the thing
that made it unique was the setting rather than the spectacular view.
There I was at the top of a tremendous piece of earth and I could see for
miles and miles in all directions. The thing I like about this spot is the
fact that I found it myself. When most people find views like this
they usually have vendors trying to sell them picture post cards.
As I sat there I was filled
with many emotions however one stood out. It was the feeling of
loneliness. I had the greatest urge to tell someone my feelings but of
course I was completely alone. Usually during my walks I'm content to
keep my observations to myself but this time I longed to share my thoughts
with someone.
As usual, I know I can never
describe the view satisfactorily. I sat on the very edge of the hill
overlooking San Diego harbor. To my back, the hill sloped down for
about a half a mile to the road where I had parked the car. Directly
in front of me it was cut in a sharp cliff-like form going right up to the
edge of the water. To my extreme left was the navy housing.
Although it was a mile away I could hear children playing as if they were by
my side. The harbor lay immediately in front of me and about a mile
over the water is the city of San Diego. It was really impressive to
see the sky scrapers and the new buildings being built. I guess I could see
for twenty or thirty miles and the clarity was amazing.
In what seemed like seconds,
the sun set and the children's shouts began to fade away. Finally all
that was left were the lights of the city and the sounds of cars, ships and
planes. There was a surprising amount of noise coming from all
directions but somehow it was silent and peaceful at the same time.
The lights and sounds all combined into a hum of action but still, where I
sat, it was as silent and peaceful as a church.
