The Old And The New...

San Francisco
March 1st, 2014

"Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life."

~Mark Twain 

Mark Twain loved San Francisco... and so do I. But he loved the city in a different era, so I have often wondered what he would think of today's San Francisco. I would love to be able to sit down with him, and really find out what he thinks of today in general. Would he be a follower of reality TV, maybe, but I think if he did it would be to mock it. Would he enjoy a good ride on BART? I will have to consider that one longer! LOL. How about all the amazing street performers, especially the ones who dress like him, and tell tall tales? Someone impersonating you could either be the biggest compliment ever, or a total insult, so I am sure when it comes to that he would consider the issue from all angles.  What about one of the most famous quotes about San Francisco, most often attributed to him, not actually being by him?

"The coldest winter I ever spent, was a summer in San Francisco."

According to Snopes.com, it wasn't said by Twain! This opinion is based on some pretty extensive research into his writings. That quote is simply not something mused by him, however it's believable he could have uttered it. Have you ever been in San Francisco in the summertime? It can be cold... really cold... and layers of clothing are often required, but it's also true that we have micro-climates in and around the city, and we natives have just come to depend on the best bet of always leaving the house with a sweater, or jacket, no matter what the temperature says it is! LOL. It's just what we do! And I am sure that during his time in San Francisco, he learned to do the same thing! That's the one thing about San Francisco that he could probably still relate to the best, if he were to suddenly come back for a visit. The weather. Cities change. People sometimes change. Culture changes. The weather generally doesn't. Unless you consider Global Warming a thing. Gee, I wonder what he would think about that?

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics"

~Quoted by Mark Twain in his autobiography, he attributes the quote to Benjamin Disraeli.

"So I became a newspaperman. I hated to do it, but I couldn't find honest work."

~Mark Twain

:)

Mood: Quiet

~Me :)