Sat Sept. 1 – The Fool on the Hill

Sat Sept. 1 – The Fool on the Hill


I sit on the top of a hill on Neches St. between 8th and 9th facing east. In front of me along Neches St. are public parking and across the street is a parking lot. Just to the north of this lot is a vacant lot with a hole in the fence and a number of homeless making this their abode for the nights. It is a place I’m sure the public officials would like to see cleaned up to make the city “safer”, although I know of no particular incidents. It’s just a blotch on the community. Too my left is a five story parking garage occupied during the days and open on Thursdays through Saturday evenings to serve those coming to town to party and frequent the clubs. Behind me, to the west is another parking lot, and to my right on the corner of Neches and 8th is a condemned house. The homeless often sleep on the porch and in wet weather you would find me here. To the south, across 8th St. on the other side of Neches is the Salvation Army. A large, fortress like structure, which from all I have observed is under-utilized, whether due to lack of man power support or becoming an institution that has outlived its usefulness. I don’t know. I only know that when I first arrived in town and tried to check in, it was not convenient for them and I was turned away. To the south of the Salvation Army is the ARCH (Austin Resource Center for the Homeless). This has become my center of operations. Most of my necessities of life are met here, laundry, showers, computer lab, bath room and a place to hang out – out of the heat and rain. I have not utilized their overnight sleeping accommodations yet. The weather is generally comfortable at nights and hiding in the shadows can be accomplished if one uses a bit of common sense. I have found it is best not to stay too long or too often in the same place, my perch on the top of the hill seems to be the one exception. As long as you are awake by 6:30 a.m. the police don’t seem too interested in harassing any one through the night. Across Neches, to the west of the Arch and on the south side of 8th is another parking lot taking up a full city block. Panning the area, from the east to the south and to the west, the skyline is beautiful. Not as vast as a New York City, but it is impressive. And all within walking distance.

Sitting on my hill facing east, I can hear music coming from 3 different clubs. Each night a different band at each club, except for the one which seems to cater to a black audience and it always seems to be some sort of Techno-Rap. The other two clubs, down the hill in front of me seem to have a variety of genre, from punk to sixties acid rock and some blues, a little bit of country. And these are not the clubs that Austin is known for. 6th St., located about two blocks from my hill is strung out with clubs and bars and saloons, a virtual circus of entertainment. Here you will also find individual entrepreneurs, busking or providing Tarot Card readings or virtually any other obscure service you can imagine. Not having a guitar yet, I do not spend much time here. No money and no reason. I am actually quite conservative. But once I have a guitar, and take two weeks to a month to build up callouses on my fingers and review my repertoire, I will find me a spot down here and ply my trade. I have no doubt what I can do. I know my skills, as a guitarist and a speaker. I admit though, I do prefer working with a group, but that will happen in time.

Spreading out through the downtown area, along Congress and in the richer areas there continues to be a large number of music venues catering to the richer clientele. But these are well out of my class, at least for the immediate foreseeable future. But, stranger things have happened.