Light and History

Just down the street is a building that used to be a corner store. It has been 15 years since the owner shut it down and since then it's been variously a movie making storefront for disadvantaged kids, a coffee shop and now it seems to be a weaving studio. The white curtains are always drawn but I can peak inside and wonder about the occupants. I've never seen anyone in there.

Isn't it interesting how you can learn so much about a place by looking at the architecture? The buildings that were meant as corner stores have large windows on both sides. They are always on a corner and they are spaced about 10 blocks apart. These areas were built before people had cars - they needed to be able to walk a convenient distance to get the basics: milk, flour - who knows what else? The stores were small. No mega malls for them.

And now no-one knows what to do with these former stores. There isn't enough business to keep them open for any kind of retail. They don't make good houses because of the lack of privacy. But still they are around, a reminder of the past.

I've been noticing the way the morning light falls on the grimy glass, creating shadows on the white fabric in an ever changing pattern.