west by northwest (by midwest)

“while you’re asleep, we’re exploring rooftops” — wheat paste graffiti, downtown SLC

For a moment while standing in front of the “rooftops” wheat-paste, I thought I had been transported back to Portland—where protesters regularly take over the downtown streets and anarchists abound. A chill came over me. I felt vulnerable and exposed, event though the only other person in sight was a homeless man smoking a cigarette and lost in his own thoughts.

In SLC, I get the sense there is a real underground—hidden from view, lying in wait to start a revolution. I wonder where all the wheat-pasters retreat to when the sun comes up. I wonder if they live nearby.

I am not sure how I feel about this, given my complicated history with Portland leftists. More to come. I need time to process it.