Sanctuary

[mbarrick]

I was considering staying in last night because I still feel a bit off, but then Brenda called to say she and Steve would be going and I simply had to go. On the way out the door I ran into "Trickster" who was also on her way to Skank. We walked down together and on the way talked about Victoria and were both very surprised to find that the other knew what "Purple City" was!

Purple City is this thing bored drunk/stoned people used to do in Victoria. The lights illuminating the facade of the Empress Hotel used to be yellowish sodium lamps (they were replaced with whiter lights well over ten years ago). You stood in front of a light and looked into it at close range so that it filled your field of vision, and stared until the light appeared to change from yellow to dark green. At that point when you looked up everything would be purple. The legislature with all its outlining lights, the street lamps, car headlights, all appeared purple, ergo "Purple City."

Sanctuary was, of course, as it usually is. And this evening in particular I found that very comforting. It was the first time I had been out by myself and not felt somehow like I was doing something wrong. For the first time in a year I was just out, chatting, taking a few pictures and really enjoying it all for its own sake. Just being somewhere where everyone knows your name is an end unto itself.