Tag Archives: uptown

It seems like just a moment ago that I figured out that I wanted to get a place in Uptown and signed my lease. It was just October, after all. Now I’ve got a notice for renewal. It’s hard for me to see why I would want to do anything other than stay right where I am. I only started getting to know the area in January when I finally got to spend some time here.

And the place isn’t bad. The location has exactly what I wanted, the few people I’ve met so far are friendly enough, and my commute from this spot is a dream compared to what it was in Atlanta. In one sense it seems unadventurous not to check out other alternatives, but the experience is still a new one, and I’m pretty content right here.

I think I’ll be signing this weekend.

This past Sunday after my adult education class on the Seven Deadly Sins I changed my routine at the Church of the Incarnation. I went to the Uptown service that they hold there at 11:15. The simplest way to describe it would be as the “contemporary” service. It seems unusual to me that this worship group would be so distinct as to have it’s own apparently separate identity from the rest of the church – including it’s own website – but no one that I’ve met at Incarnation makes any mention of it.

I wasn’t sure how I’d like the Uptown service, but I wanted to give it a try. If I liked it well enough I thought it might be easier to meet people there. As I’ve noted before here, Church can be a place which creates a sense of isolation for a single person. Almost everyone that attends in a traditional setting is married, has children with them or both. I don’t think that anyone intends for it to be this way, but the simple fact is that it’s harder to be included in that setting when you are single. I figured Uptown might be different in that sense, perhaps having a younger and less married-with-kids crowd. It was, but not uniformly so. I was surprised to see what looked like an even mix of all ages and family statuses there, though certainly more young people than in the traditional services.

The service was very different from the traditional services at any Episcopal church. While the traditional Incarnation services have a choir with old-school hymns, the Uptown services had a band that played songs. There was even a sound guy up there with his Mac. Where traditional services do the “Episcopal shuffle” (lectionary / prayer book / hymnal / repeat) the Uptown service instead had everyone read the prayers and songs off of plasma screens. Traditional services have announcements referencing their newsletters. The Uptown service made mention of their Podcasts and YouTube. Traditional services are very quiet and solemn in the pews, bit the Uptown congregants bring their Starbucks right on in and mill around a bit. Where traditional services have sermons with an almost academic presentation, Uptown sermons are more plain spoken though no less substantial. More on that in my next post.

Despite being someone that likes the very traditional aspect of the Episcopal church, I liked the service. Despite the clear modernity of the service, the liturgy was still distinctly Anglican. That’s the thing I find that I really need in order to feel at home. While I don’t think I’d be happy without attending at least an occasional service in the traditional format, I could easily see myself attending Uptown services on a regular basis.

As for whether that might result in making more friends and acquaintances, only time will tell.

Right before I went to go get my Texas driver’s license on December 31st of last year I got my hair cut across the street from the apartment at Warren Wilkes Salon. That time my stylist was Warren himself. Today it was another of his stylists on staff.

Warren is a character and his place shows it. The logo on the plate glass outside has a “Blade meets Harley Davidson” look, and so does Warren. Despite being a grandfather he wears lots of leather, lots of metal and sports a Billy Idol sort of hairdo that doesn’t look the least bit out of place on him. His two dachshunds run around everywhere inside. One of them is named Corkscrew. Last time I was there Corkscrew nearly ate Warren’s accountant when he dropped by. Apparently this drama has been going on for years. Warren seems like a nice enough guy, but I get the feeling you wouldn’t want to see him angry. When he cut my hair in December he told a few tales about what it was like to live here in my apartment building years ago back when he did. He made it sound like something out of a night time soap opera where lots of very forward professional women pursued guys the way guys are stereotyped pursuing girls. I have yet to suffer this terrible fate. Results may vary, I suppose.

Today Warren was busy, which turned out to be just fine. Amra cut my hair instead, and I really enjoyed talking to her. She’s lived here in the US almost all of her life, but like her family is originally from Montenegro. Amra is reasonably well traveled as a result and I always enjoy comparing notes with people that have been to other parts of the world. She also did a great job of cutting my hair, which isn’t always easy for a stylist to do.

I don’t know about you guys, but as far as I’m concerned you can keep Great Clips, the Hair Cuttery and all their kin. Give me a local joint with some people that are actually part of the place and make hair styling their career. Yes it’s more expensive. Yes the results are better. And for me, yes it’s more enjoyable. I’m an extrovert. I like people and I prefer having at least some acquaintance to as many people as possible that I might interact with regularly. Makes life more interesting. There is a reason why movies like “Barber Shop” and “Radio” are set in such places. Save your money by getting a bowl cut or worse from a new stranger each time at Great Clips if you must. I prefer to get a good job from people you look forward to seeing once in while.

Here’s to local places and familiar faces.