20 Sep Everything is free?

One thing nobody tells you about San Francisco, is that a lot of things here, are free.

Somehow having escaped the many oppressive laws that engulf most of the U.S., San Francisco, has somehow reserved a certain amount of freedom when it comes to outdoor spaces. Unlike L.A., and many states within the U.S., San Francisco flourishes with it’s many outdoor events.

Forget about sound pollution, or loitering, many of the parks (Golden Gate and Dolores to name a few) actually encourage the set-up of sound systems, body painting, barbecues, and general shenanigans in large outdoor, public spaces. If you’ve got a brown paper bag and some glitter, you are good to go. (Oh, and entry is always free).

I found myself some weekends ago, on a man’s shoulder, with an unknown umbrella covered in jewels and paint, a beret on my head, and watercolor of dancing sprites fashioning body paint, and a general sense of good will towards one another. The music was brilliant, it was a hot afternoon, and needles to say, I had a fantastic time. 

I couldn’t help but cringe, however, when out of nowhere one of the painted dancers came out from the crowd and hugged a police officer only to be welcomed with standing ovation and cheers. This moment of simulacrum somehow made the moment feel artificial, even hollow, as if to re-create an iconic image in the context of an informal light-hearted afternoon. But you got to take it with a pinch of salt.

I think in the U.S., simulating identities and exaggerating a self-image (whether it be the flower power hippie, or the punk with a septum piercing), people are very interested in using their body and behavior as a platform to assert these identities and distinguish their self-hood against the others. I feel that was especially true in high school, and less so now. 

Ultimately, however, San Francisco has surprised me as a haven of free activities, and a communal, constructive use of public spaces that encourage behaviors of both candid expression (and occasionally attention seeking episodes). Here, anything is welcome, and I think that’s what makes the city pretty unlike anywhere else.