Welcome to the Wild West
I've read a couple of articles that complain about the San Francisco, 'Yes', noting that we are a land of 'flakes'. As a native, this is my rebuttal to a short-sighted assessment.
People flaking on you has more to do with you than with them. Out here on the Left Coast, we want to be welcoming and nice. After the Gold Rush abandoned our ancestors here, they had to find an alternative commodity for generating income--hence, our thriving tourism industry. So we smile and invite you to spend your hard-earned cash on our current Thing. That's how San Francisco survived its first crash.
There is an abundance of activity to compel the general way-farer. Those who are from here have a born nature to entertain visitors. We also like our own entertainment. So if you are not in possession of a certain degree of interesting, you might become an option of lower ranking. But we still want to be kind to you in order to insure that you stay.
Given the rich history of our beloved land, many of us are spoiled to an almost jaded degree. We've seen it all, from the birth of the Barbary Coast to the Summer of Love. From Steinbeck to Garcia, Muir to Biafra, it's all been here for our pickin's. If folks are opting-out with you at the last minute, you might want to take time for a personal inventory.
What do you offer during a social visit? Do you whine about how your needs are not being met? Do you gossip and complain about others? Are you opportunistic and seeking a social step-ladder? These are not fun activities for the over-stimulated native. Consider upping your game to discussing ideas, that great new book you're reading, or your favorite artists. Go even further by bringing a note of levity and joy to the table with a good sense of humor. Share about the great new book you are writing, or the fun art you are making. Put a cherry on top by sweeping your friends away on a surprise urban adventure.
Take them on the 49 Mile Drive. Go to Muir Woods and The Pelican Inn. Watch Elephant Seals fight and make love at Ano Nuevo. Find the Petrified Forest. Hike like you are Sir Francis Drake discovering the Bay for the first time. Create a theme activity that entails all things Steinbeck or Hitchcock (or both). Discover all five mountains that give Mountain View its name.
Or, simply be flexible. Open your doors, throw down some favorite music, put out a pitcher of beverages and a plate of snacks, sit in front with a smile on your face and delight in who shows up. But for the sake of goodness, do not sit there and grouse about how you are not getting enough attention. You will never get enough attention around here with so many things to do. And do not invite any of us for coffee and expect a parade to arrive. We invented cafe culture out here, from Caffe Trieste in North Beach, to The Med. on Telegraph Avenue: Everything that you love about the San Francisco Gay Area, from Ginsberg to Burning Man, began in a *bleeping* cafe.
We are the wild west that will never be tamed.
People flaking on you has more to do with you than with them. Out here on the Left Coast, we want to be welcoming and nice. After the Gold Rush abandoned our ancestors here, they had to find an alternative commodity for generating income--hence, our thriving tourism industry. So we smile and invite you to spend your hard-earned cash on our current Thing. That's how San Francisco survived its first crash.
There is an abundance of activity to compel the general way-farer. Those who are from here have a born nature to entertain visitors. We also like our own entertainment. So if you are not in possession of a certain degree of interesting, you might become an option of lower ranking. But we still want to be kind to you in order to insure that you stay.
Given the rich history of our beloved land, many of us are spoiled to an almost jaded degree. We've seen it all, from the birth of the Barbary Coast to the Summer of Love. From Steinbeck to Garcia, Muir to Biafra, it's all been here for our pickin's. If folks are opting-out with you at the last minute, you might want to take time for a personal inventory.
What do you offer during a social visit? Do you whine about how your needs are not being met? Do you gossip and complain about others? Are you opportunistic and seeking a social step-ladder? These are not fun activities for the over-stimulated native. Consider upping your game to discussing ideas, that great new book you're reading, or your favorite artists. Go even further by bringing a note of levity and joy to the table with a good sense of humor. Share about the great new book you are writing, or the fun art you are making. Put a cherry on top by sweeping your friends away on a surprise urban adventure.
Take them on the 49 Mile Drive. Go to Muir Woods and The Pelican Inn. Watch Elephant Seals fight and make love at Ano Nuevo. Find the Petrified Forest. Hike like you are Sir Francis Drake discovering the Bay for the first time. Create a theme activity that entails all things Steinbeck or Hitchcock (or both). Discover all five mountains that give Mountain View its name.
Or, simply be flexible. Open your doors, throw down some favorite music, put out a pitcher of beverages and a plate of snacks, sit in front with a smile on your face and delight in who shows up. But for the sake of goodness, do not sit there and grouse about how you are not getting enough attention. You will never get enough attention around here with so many things to do. And do not invite any of us for coffee and expect a parade to arrive. We invented cafe culture out here, from Caffe Trieste in North Beach, to The Med. on Telegraph Avenue: Everything that you love about the San Francisco Gay Area, from Ginsberg to Burning Man, began in a *bleeping* cafe.
We are the wild west that will never be tamed.