Day 26 - From East Austin With Love

Old Anderson High School (Boys & Girls Club)

Another weekend bike ride across East Austin included a trip over to old Anderson High School's football field. Today, the old building is a Boys and Girls Club location on 901 Thompson Avenue (1st picture to the left).

Shot of Austin downtown from old Anderson HS

As I rode up the incredibly steep hill on Thompson to arrive from the East Campus of Austin Community College, I worked hard with deep peddling several gears lower to make it up the hill.  I powered up the hill and passed Booker T. Washington Terraces in the nearly perfect weather conditions, sun up with a slight chill in the air.

Looking at the pictures to left, I started to wonder back to my days growing up in the day.  I tried to take from my personal experiences and imagine going to school at old Anderson High School, home of the mighty Yellow Jackets.

Weekend flag football game at Yellow Jacket Stadium

Guys play flag football at Yellow Jacket Stadium

The scene of downtown Austin was quite beautiful.  The green grasses under the Pleasant Valley Street bridge looking over Boggy Creek Greenbelt made me wonder about the day to day experiences of a regular Yellow Jacket.

I came around to watch nearly fifty or sixty men playing flag football from different teams.  Listening to the commotion and banter among the men was reminiscent of my days in college.  Small spats with referees about their calls on the play, deliberations among team members talking about their next play, and cheers about extended plays down the field made me feel at home.

I sat on my bike to side taking a few pictures.  In a moment, I started to fantasize about being a millionaire, adopting a school, and making a real difference in East Austin.  It was the kind of serial daydreaming that people often have about the East side.

I'm not sure that I could make a difference.  I do think about how to strategically be an active member of the community.  Passively, this blog serves to explore my experiences openly.  Actively, I am still considering how to be involved.  This discovery process will help me to find what is best for my talents and interests.  My first priority continues to be a good parent.  Anything additional will be something to uncover.

At times, I have complained about difficulties with maintaining goals to drink water, avoid sweets, and explore East Austin.  Reflecting on this day, I am pleased about the wonderful experiences that I've had with my kids, celebrating all the beautiful aspects of the community, and enjoying the community trying to make a real difference.

One particular community that I came across was the Major Taylor Austin Cycling Group started recently.  I learned about them at the Austin African American Community Heritage Festival.  The Major Taylor Austin Cycling Group started in 2011 to honor and extend Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor's legacy as the first American and African American champion in cycling history in 1899.

The cycling group is part of a national network of cyclist from minority communities who promote cycling as an alternative transportation, competitive sport, healthy physical activity, and build community. It seems that this is a perfect time to connect with others.

Enjoy the video below of dancing at the heritage festival in honor of Mardi Gras.

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