I hate introductions

By Peggy Sturdivant

I hate introductions. I'm one of those people who will not write my name in Sharpie and stick it with adhesive to my chest. For years the only biographical information I have been able to muster is, "Peggy Sturdivant lives with her daughter in Ballard."

I've lived in on the same block for almost 20 years. For twice as long I've been one of those people who need to write. Round cursive in a journal that gets hidden under a cushion, on scraps of paper, cocktail napkins from airlines - I don't necessarily want to re-read those words, but I have to write them down the way others need to exercise or meditate or pray or eat.

At Large in Ballard is a convergence of my love of writing and wandering the neighborhood, an attempt to draw with words what I've witnessed (and overheard). That picture will always be colored by my own past and my own interests, after all I'm the one out walking in the rain with my notebook, headed for the library or the post office, Java Bean or Golden Gardens.

My horoscope for this year said I would make lots of new friends. My closest friend and my daughter rolled their eyes over that thought. They think I have too many friends and a big E for Extrovert painted on my forehead. Can someone have too many friends? Since I started my blog about Ballard on the Seattle PI site, I've made new connections, learned more about Ballard past and present, about sweet deals on espresso, old tragedies, new accidents waiting to happen. I hear from people who have left the area, and those who hope to return. I've become convinced there are only two degrees of separation between anyone in Ballard. Sometimes at the end of yoga - instead of deep relaxation - I mentally connect the dots between everyone that I know, envisioning the resulting links on a giant board.

It is wonderful to be 46 years old in Ballard. Those who were born here in the early 1900's treat me as though I am young. The hip young people climbing at Stone Gardens don't give me a second glance; I'm not old enough to be an aberration. I could go to a trendy happy hour or for pancakes at Vera's. New parents don't look at me as though I could never have been a mother, the Wi-Fi crowd doesn't sneer over their laptop at my composition book and ballpoint pen. I grew up in two small towns on the East Coast but this is where I have made my home.

For many years I have written my observations of Ballard, last May I started sharing that writing on-line. I also keep running lists in my head, double-checking that an outside destination is on the Approved Reasons to Leave Ballard List. I will leave Ballard for an errand or visit to another part of town, but it has to be justified that the product, service or event cannot be found in my immediate walking environs.

In my mind, the Ballard Bridge is a toll bridge and it's not worth the cost. Can you tell I love this neighborhood? For seven months now, in 70 on-line essays I've shared my experiences about town with a growing readership. Now I look forward to making new friends. Welcome to At Large in Ballard. I may not be everywhere, but I'm willing to try.

Peggy Sturdivant will be a regular, weekly columnist in the News-Tribune and may be reached via bnteditor@robinsonnews.com