PASADENA- NOT SO ROSY AFTERALL

The old, the new, the wise and the wide-eyed. Pasadena dazzles the world every year with
its fabulous Rose Parade that moves east on
Colorado Blvd, then north on Sierra Madre to its final resting place at Victory Park located in the eastern part of our majestic city.

                          News camera people from countries large and small capture the blue skies we are so blessed with. Our warm temperatures make Pasadena residents grateful that we don’t live in the Eastern or Plains states.

                         The snow-capped mountains captured in the camera footage, which are a very close distance from the parade route, are a statement to everyone, everywhere, that this is the magic
place to live.

                                                                    Ah, Pasadena!

          Some kids who were born here have never owned a warm jacket, a hat, neck
scarf, mittens or any other kind of winter garb.

         Th is isn’t to say these kind of wardrobe accessories aren’t needed, but the true needs ares so seldom seen that most folks don’t bother to own them.u

         Cold spells, as we call them, blow through for a couple of days and then we’re back to sandals and shorts.

         Quite often, the “foreign” camera people actually catch the real essence of our environment. I’ve seen footage they captured from their venture out of Pasadena to one of the nearby beach

        And there on camera, in winter, we’ve got pretty ladies in skimpy bikinis hanging out at the seaside

       The beach is about an hour’s drive (depending on traffic) from our fair city.  The mountains are not too much of a longer drive – uh, this does require warm winter clothes, though.

         But I can tell you of the many school kids who went on field trips to the snow wearing sneakers.

         Snow boots? What are those? Too many of us just don’t know what winter weather is.

         Have you really arrived in the land of Milk and Honey?

                                                      Hm!

There’s more to Pasadena than scenic views, sunshine, majestic floats and award winning
marching bands.

Meet the kids who graduated from Pasadena Public Schools and cannot read.

Meet Pasadena’s  former foster kids who have aged out of the child welfare system and now     live on the streets.

Meet the old-time residents who are looking for housing because they can’t afford to live here anymore.

Meet the parents who’ve given up on trying to raise their children.

Well, you’re not going to meet any of these people because they’re pretty much hidden from view as they can’t compete with the scenic snow-capped mountains or the beautiful floats.   These troublesome aspects of my fair city are invisible because, for one of the  reasons, camera people only want to support the glory and just like everyone else, they  have no interest in the agony.

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