Bob Dylan, Dinkytown and ... Paris?

07May11

I met my friend Norine for a stroll today—our first walk since she lost her beloved Mica. I was worried that she’d feel melancholic, but she seemed to find joy in photographing the spring blooms.

We followed our feet to Dinkytown, which is just a mile from our homes.

In some ways Dinkytown hasn’t changed at all since Bob Dylan lived there. There are tributes to him everywhere … especially at the bookstore where he played some of his first gigs.

But in other ways, Dinkytown has changed irrevocably.

To wit: First, Norine and I had coffee at the Café Royale, which vaguely reminded me of Paris. Then we had lunch at Shuang Chen, my favorite of the neighborhood’s many Asian restaurants.

We read the placemats as we waited for our food. According to the Chinese Zodiac, I’m a Sheep.

“Elegant and creative, you are timid and prefer anonymity,” read my description. Norine said it sounded just like me. Except maybe for the timid part.

Anyway … I meditated about anonymity this afternoon as I mustered the courage to enter yet another photo contest. (The PX3 was about recognition; the Delta Airlines contest is all about free miles.)

I debated for several days whether I even wanted to enter. Then I thought for a few more days about which photo I should submit. There are so many to choose from, among my two most recent trips.

Ultimately I settled on something more-or-less iconic:

Like Bob Dylan, I’m usually shy and retiring. And like Bob Dylan, I try to create art for its own sake.

But I discovered today that for 100,000 miles—a free ticket to Paris—I’m willing to go against type and dabble in the delicate art of self-promotion.

Filed under: Attempted humor, Ethics, Music, Paris, Photography, Psychology, Writing   |  2 Comments
Tags: Dinkytown, Eiffel Tower, Paris, Paris photography, Travel, travel photography