Reflection from Z Tejas -- Part 2
Last week I was back in Austin for a couple of days of meetings. On that trip, I stayed at a hotel in the Arboretum, which gave me an opportunity to walk to one of my favorite restaurants – Z Tejas. For someone who doesn’t really cook, I’ve managed to accumulate quite a number of “foodie” friends who like to introduce me to new restaurants. I actually really enjoy trying these new places with my friends, but if I’m on my own in the Arboretum area of Austin – I’m headed to Z Tejas. It’s my place to eat chips and guacamole, drink a jalapeno margarita, and reflect.
So, here’s my reflections from Z Tejas in August 2019. There were a couple of things that gave me pause last week.
When I arrived in Austin, I quickly popped into one of the shops in the Arboretum looking for a gift. While I was there, I noticed a young mother and her toddler son. At one point, the mother wandered into another room of the shop unbeknownst to her son. When the child noticed that his mother was not within his eyesight, he panicked and started crying. The mother heard her child and quickly came to retrieve him.
As I witnessed this scene, I was suddenly struck by a memory that happened when I was 4 or 5 years old. At that time, my father was the high school boys’ basketball coach in Fletcher, Oklahoma. My mother was taking undergraduate classes at Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha, Oklahoma, which is now known as the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO). Some of the details are sketchy for me (as a reminder, I was 4 or 5 years old), but I think my mom must have stayed in a dorm in Chickasha for a short period of time to complete a class. My memory is of my dad, sister and I at the dorm to pick my mom up after her class had ended. I remember being on the elevator and my younger sister and I getting separated from our parents. I don’t remember what caused us to be separated, I just remember the sheer panic I felt as I held my 3-year-old sister’s hand and couldn’t find my parents. As I watched the scene with the crying toddler in that store in Austin, that memory came flooding back to me. I’m 61 years-old, at least 56 years removed from the incident, and I felt that panic viscerally. I don’t know how long we were separated from our parents – maybe minutes, yet 56 years later, I tasted the bile in my mouth of that fear. My heart was palpitating. It took several minutes before my breathing returned to normal.
Later when I was at Z Tejas and remembering my reaction to the scene earlier in the day, I thought about what is occurring in our country regarding immigration issues and child separation. Clearly, anyone who knows me knows that I have strong emotional feelings about this issue, but the purpose of this blog is not to air those feelings. It is to search for and highlight positivity. So, kudos to those at the border in Texas and across the country who are working to find solutions. You have my admiration and utmost respect. You are my she-roes and heroes.
My other reflection was about my walk from the Renaissance Hotel in the Arboretum to Z Tejas. It’s less than ½ mile, but there are no sidewalks. And, every time I walk that short distance on the side of road, I’m a little irritated that there are no sidewalks. Can’t north Austin and the Arboretum area do something to make my jaunt to Z Tejas a little safer?
The following day I attended the 2019 Texas Statewide Pedestrian Safety Forum and listened to a panel of presenters discuss transportation equity and the implications for pedestrian safety. I’m interested in pedestrian safety for a variety of reasons. First, it’s part of my job. Second, I am an active pedestrian and have made a choice to live in an area with a high Walk Score. Walk Score measures the walkability of any address and the ability to travel by foot to locations that offer services, retail, restaurants, places of worship, etc. I can easily and safely walk to dozens of restaurants, my dentist and ophthalmologist offices, an urgent care clinic, movie theater, several grocery stores (Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Tom Thumb), coffee shops, or clothing stores. I expect to be able to walk anywhere I want safely.
Just when I’m feeling smug about my situation or irritated when something doesn’t go my way, I get slapped in the face with my white privilege. That’s what happened to me at the Pedestrian Forum when I listened to the panelists talk about the lack of sidewalks in under-resourced neighborhoods. I have access to sidewalks and an urban trail because I can afford to live in my neighborhood. I’m fortunate that I make a livable wage, but individuals who make $50,000 or less are probably not likely to be able to live in my neighborhood. And therein lies the problem – people who have transportation issues and are most in need of being able to walk to work or services – can’t.
As I listened to the panelists, I was reminded of my irritation at not having access to sidewalks between the Renaissance Hotel and Z Tejas, which by the way is in a relatively affluent area of Austin. I was also reminded of something my husband often says, “There’s a big difference between inconvenience and adversity.” I choose to walk less than ½ mile without sidewalks from my hotel to a restaurant I like – inconvenience. Individuals with limited transportation and housing must try to navigate long distances and crossing unsafe heavily traveled streets without sidewalks and marked crosswalks – adversity.
Following the Pedestrian Safety Forum, a group of injury and violence prevention professionals from across Texas gathered for the Texas Injury Prevention Leadership Collaborative Annual Meeting to discuss ideas and strategies for making Texas safer. The energy and commitment of this collective group of people always revives my spirit. And getting to meet in one of my favorite cities and spend time at one of my favorite restaurants reflecting is just an added bonus.
