Trip #418 Pritchard Street, Sheraden, Pittsburgh took place on March 15, 2020, and was published on March 27, 2020.
I look out over the landscape, and I wonder how the Earth feels. I wonder if she feels like I do – overheated throughout my mid-section because I’m wearing too many layers, but freezing hands and feet as I left the house without gloves and sensible footwear. I wish I could take off my sweater and wrap it around my extremities, but then I wouldn’t be able to write or walk. The sensation of simultaneously being too hot and too cold makes me cranky. I’m overbuilt and overexposed. Kind of like the Earth. I switch from feeling cranky to feeling sad. We’re like the folks who crash a party, break a bunch of stuff, eat and drink everything, and then set the backyard on fire. I’m sorry, Earth. I’m feeling so bad about the big mess we’ve created.
Field Notes: Some sections of this flight are starting to erode but it’s still holding up. The top section is a very narrow street – more like a Way (Alley) between the houses.
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
See the Risograph print of this photo and story in the Mis.Steps Shop.
Be a good neighbor! Have you visited these stairs and found them in poor condition or that illegal dumping (large items like tires, old furniture, and construction debris) and trash were abundant in the area? There are two things you can do to take action and make our city steps cleaner and safer for everyone! First, grab a photo if you can, and submit a report to Pittsburgh 311. All problems, both broken stairs, and railings, as well as trash and dumping, should be reported to the city. You can easily do this online or by calling.
