Downtown Provo

Only the true ballers drink Pepsi-Cola. What an old-school feel! Street ball anyone?

A+B=C. Oh and 18 Tacos.

You can't see them, but there were literally hundreds of birds in this death-bush. This dead, sharp bush ended up being my favorite picture. You can find beauty everywhere.

I guess they REALLY don't want birds landing on those light posts.

I should have added my name to the list.

As I dragged my husband along for this assignment, he made quite an ironic comment. Without knowing much about the criteria for this blog post, he said, "You know, it's funny that I could have driven past here a million times and not seen so much." Ha! That describes my experience perfectly as I looked for things I wouldn't expect to photograph. These small details that I would never normally notice paints an interesting picture of Provo: its artistic culture, hidden detail, and diverse people that I didn't appreciate before. I never expected a basketball hoop with a Pepsi sign attached to it. It made me feel like a little kid and I just wanted to play some one-on-one in the alleyway. I saw hidden messages on signs that might have just been intended to make a passerby smile. A+B=C makes no sense... but I thought the randomness was just kind of fun and it definitely grabbed my attention. There was dust on an air vent on the side of a building that people have written their names and messages in. I noticed these HUGE spikes on these lamp things above a Mexican restaurant; designed to detract birds from landing. Finally, these extremely spikey bushes in them that were FILLED with birds that would sing so loudly until you walked by them. All of these things I saw, heard, and experienced were so new, and I was so surprised! It's amazing what my eye could see when I really looked at the place I was at. It's the little details like these that make Provo unique in its own way.

Mormons: Single-Storied through the Oregon Standoff

A federal wildlife refuge has recently been taken by a group of ranchers and militia members of the community of Burns, Oregon.These occupiers are men who are against the federal government’s ownership of land that they want to use for ranching purposes. The leaders of the group are members of the Bundy family, who have been in the news for land disputes before. The Bundy family is also Mormon, so many sources are framing the story through the lens of these Mormons resisting the government, similar to the early days of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. By connecting all Mormons to the members of the Oregon standoff, Mormons are being single-storied.

            The early days of the church were filled with persecution from individuals and the federal government. Ammon Bundy, the leader of the standoff, is reviving that through this standoff. In emails meant to help gain support, he regularly quoted scripture. Leading up to the standoff, he posted a Youtube video talking about the revelation he received that inspired the standoff. While the church remains politically neutral, Bundy is taking the politics of the Mormon church back into its infancy. This causes Mormons as a whole to be viewed as a lawless, government-fighting people. The First Presidency released the following statement:

While the disagreement occurring in Oregon about the use of federal lands is not a Church matter, Church leaders strongly condemn the armed seizure of the facility and are deeply troubled by the reports that those who have seized the facility suggest that they are doing so based on scriptural principles. This armed occupation can in no way be justified on a scriptural basis. We are privileged to live in a nation where conflicts with government or private groups can — and should — be settled using peaceful means, according to the laws of the land.

           The current leadership of the church is against the standoff, which shows how far the church has come in dealing with the federal government. This standoff is causing Mormons to be placed back in time. Mormons today are not being actively persecuted by the federal government, but the actions of the occupiers of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge could negatively affect the lives of Mormons until the standoff is over.

Downtown Provo

Exploring downtown gave me a new appreciation for the little quirks that make Provo special. Growing up in Los Angeles, there is graffiti and interesting various art all around; however, in Provo you have to seek it out. Downtown is truly a cute little area with a rustic vibe. At first, it seems a little dingy, especially in the winter time when everything is wet and run down, but when you seek to find beauty, it is definitely there. The same can be said for everything in life. If you want to find beauty and positivity, you can. My favorite picture that I took was a little patch of spray paint on the white wall that says "seek and you will find." I just found it ironic because the whole point of this assignment was to look for things you would not normally notice in downtown Provo. Another thing I found was sticker with two cats on it that someone had placed on a gate. I have no idea what it symbolizes, but I liked it, and would have never noticed it if it wasn't for this assignment. 

Downtown Provo

Provo loves fast food.

Provo hides its vices.

Provo collects old cars.

Provo can be dirty.

Provo embraces the new and old.

I had noted Downtown Provo for its sort of “old-timey” quirkiness—a sort of homage to the New England or European roads, where rows of buildings line the streets. In many ways I thought that it was trying to be that, a sort of failed attempt at being cultured. Well, when I arrived there this morning, the very first thought that occurred to me was to take a photo of inside of a trash bin. I walked over to the metal trash can and took the photo, smiling at the couple in the car nearby who probably thought I was crazy. I expected to find trash from surrounding restaurants, maybe a semi-eaten taco from a nearby taco stand. What I found instead were bags from McDonalds and Wendy’s—two restaurants that aren’t really nearby (at least within walking distance). It sort of played into that American stereotype: that we love fast food and can’t get enough of it. It was like saying, “Yes, even though there are much more interesting food options nearby, fast food is still king.” I moved on from the trash bin and found a small garden-like area behind the bank. I thought it was just a nice sitting area for passersby, but then I realized that it was kind of hidden. It’s not something you’d notice off the side of the road and it sort of blends in with its surroundings. That’s when I noticed the numerous cigarettes on the floor and the beer cans in the bushes. It’s a break area—a spot where employees from the nearby stores probably go to smoke. Some of the trash suggested that it’s a prime hangout at night. I took a photo of one of the benches, a beer can placed (almost staged) perfectly at the foot of the bench. To its side stands a narrow cigarette trash pipe where someone had evidently tried to shove an entire cigarette box into its small hole. Just behind the bench was a public parking garage. Several of the cars caught my interest and so I went inside. I was surprised to find a number of very old cars and trucks—what were they doing here? While the garage is clearly open to the public, these looked as though they had been sitting here for a long time, almost on display like some sort of collection. One of them had a cover draped over it, its retro tires still visible. My walk finally took me through an alleyway where I found an open and decaying electrical box. Someone, someday, for some reason, had posted some confused panda sticker to its side. Across the street sat Zeek’s Pie Shake Parlour. Next to it stands an old brick building with a faded sign that reads, “Provo Pharmacy.” It was evidently forgotten and almost invisible next to the newer and brighter shake shack below. As I walked back to my car, it occurred to me that Downtown Provo isn’t really trying to be like New England or Europe at all. It’s just itself. It’s just Provo. It’s a mix of things—things that don’t seem to go together, and yet do anyway. It’s grungy at yet at the same time professional, it’s old and yet at the same time new, it’s lively at night and yet dead in the morning. It calls to everyone in some way or another. I decided that I needed to contribute too. When I got back to my truck, I fished out an old McDonalds bag stuffed beneath a seat and dropped it in the nearby trash bin.

Downtown Provo

                     

This is my first time back in Provo in two years. My husband and I lived in Monterey, California, and San Angelo, Texas before moving back to Orem three months ago. This was a fun experience to compare where I've been and where I am now. Downtown Provo is old and rundown, but it reminded me of Monterey in some ways. The feeling I got walking through the town was that it was unique, corky, and while it is decaying, there is beauty to be found and hope to be felt. I first noticed a little, green house. It was an average house and then I discovered the door was about three feet off the ground with no stairs leading up to it. I thought of the family living there, maybe they are superstitious of stairs? Or it's just a work in progress. Either way it seemed to fit in with the corkiness and symbolized the town, not perfect, but still uniquely beautiful. Next, I walked by a beautiful church and upon further inspection found it had stunning stained glass windows. The two I found most powerful were side by side, one was of St. Francis of Assisi and the other of a girl tending to her horse. I was puzzled at first as to why these two images would be next to each other but after pondering I interpreted it to mean that we can be just as powerful as Francis of Assisi was and we too can create relationships with all kinds of living things, other than just human beings. Down the road from the church there are a bunch of buildings with glass windows. I was inspired by the inside of Aveda and thought how cool it would be to work somewhere with positive messages constantly surrounding you. This was a more modern area of downtown Provo and I liked the mix of old and new coexisting, just like in all aspects of life. My next "discovery" was one that surprised me. I had been to Zeek's many times but never noticed the side of the building covered in images of shakes, pies, and sprinkles. Zeek's is in the middle of two very old and weathered buildings and the wall seems to shout at you, "give me attention, validate me!" And I had never seen it before. I stared at it for a few minutes and the colors lifted my spirits. As I was walking away I looked down and saw a spray-painted smiley face. It was just a little reminder to stay hopeful, and to find beauty in brokenness. My time spent in downtown Provo left me wanting to explore and discover more beauty and uniqueness in all aspects of my life and in the world around me, especially in places I might not usually look. 

Downtown Provo

I only visited downtown at night, so I didn't get to pay attention to a lot of things. As I was walking down the street this time, however, I found some interesting things that I have never found before. First of all, I found some creative bike racks engraved with the city name, Provo. I liked the design of it, and I thought people would bring their bikes more because they can easily lock their bikes. News paper vending machines were another thing that I found. I was a little surprised by the cheap price of the news papers. It was $1 except for Sunday, which was $3. I could imagine people eating breakfast or drinking tea while reading news paper. Next, the building has been a National Register, called "Provo Commercial Historic District." The building was built in 1900 by Henry L. Southworth. At the time, there were a butcher shop, clothing store, restaurant, a motel in this building. It was awesome that people took care of this building over a hundred years. Imagining how people lived at the time gave me some goosebumps. I also got to pay attention to the details of the street lights. They had a very faded color, but that made them look more special. The last one is Martha Hughes Cannon's sculpture by Laura Lee Bradshaw. It says Martha was a medical doctor, successful mother and first woman elected to a state senate. I found it very meaningful because there are several sculptures like this on the street downtown where many people come visit. To sum up, downtown Provo described the history of Provo to me.

Dying Beauty

---

---

---

---

---

I have driven through downtown Provo hundreds of times but I realized today from my walk that I have never really seen it. Downtown Provo is a dying area. The pictures above show the abandoned poorly constructed buildings but even among the neglect you can find hope and beauty. You can feel the hope in the city when you look down and read the message about making a wish and achieving your dreams.  You can feel the desperation to make this city better in the painted brick crosswalks.  The old ugly brick crosswalk is covered up with white paint in an attempt to beautify the city.  I've seen the mural of the dolphin many times but I never noticed the speech bubble next to the dolphin with the faded words.  I wonder what he was saying.  Even among the faded crosswalks and old murals we see hope in the new buildings such as the convention center and the cafe within it.  There is hope and beauty in this city if you take the time to really look around.