40 years and 6 months later C.2008 Los Angeles, CA
"Some men see things as they are and say, 'Why'? I dream of things that never were and say, 'Why not'?" ~R.F.K. 1968
The 40th anniversary of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination was on June 5, 2008. Fatally shot at the Ambassador hotel near downtown Los Angeles, a generic green city owned memorial sign is all that is left of that infamous site. One Sunday afternoon, around the date of the anniversary, I noticed somebody had taped a picture of him and tied a bouquet of flowers onto the metal post of the sign. It was a nice gesture and it clearly caught my eye as I drove eastbound along Wilshire Blvd. At that moment I wish I had my camera with me.
Months and months went by. I returned some weeks ago to see if any of it was still there. I assumed it wouldn’t be for obvious reasons (natural or man made causes). I drove, I parked, and I walked. Soon enough, I discovered it was all still there. The bouquet was nothing more than a delicate sun burnt fire hazard and the picture was curled and discolored from the sun and car exhaust.
It had been left alone. It wasn’t seen as an act of vandalism, littering, or any other city code violation. It wasn’t stolen or tampered with. I thought it was remarkable, that in this part of the city, something so lightweight and unsecured stayed in tact and untouched for so long.
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