Thursday, May 28, 2009

No One is Incognito

You'll find Linda Centell in the City Hall Public Affairs office. I took several pictures of her and I think this one's interesting. Unfortunately, you can't see Linda in it. If you want to see a cute picture of Linda, scroll down in this post on the Pasadena PIO's blog. You'll find Linda and her handsome husband, Ed Washatka, in their party duds.

Something I love about Pasadena is that people here are connected. It's not just me. I've never been this connected in any other place. See, things work sort of like this: Linda and Ed are my neighbors, and, say, Linda introduces me to a friend who's interested in a cause I care about, and that friend happens to know a professor who wrote an article about a subject I'm interested in, so the professor hooks me up with some people he knows who belong to an organization I belong to, and it turns out one of them is a blogger I had already met online, and through her I meet Ann Erdman who is the Public Information Officer, and wouldn't you know it? Ann is Linda's boss.

I don't think I've made myself clear. What I mean is it's a big circle. Not everyone knows everyone, but sooner or later everyone seems to be connected to everyone somehow, and if you want to meet someone you probably know someone who can introduce you. Somehow.

And no, I didn't uncover any secrets at City Hall. As far as I know, nobody there is incognito.

26 comments:

pasadenapio said...

Six degrees of Linda Centell!

She's acting PIO while I'm lounging around in Palm Springs (see my last comment to your Wednesday post).

Rose Idayu Roslan said...

I am incognito.
according to my email address :)

good man said...

Hello my friend
I like your blog is very fantastic
I wish you success,
I am glad that my friend
http://forexonline-9trading.blogspot.com/

Shell Sherree said...

Yes, six degrees ... or as it's also technically known in some circles, the NaNaNooNoo effect.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

I do enjoy your blog, I can understand your saying about everyone being connected somehow,
I found that in one particular place I lived many years ago.

Yvonne.

Susan C said...

We are all connected, aren't we. Amazing to read how those connections came full circle.

Jean Spitzer said...

Beautiful photograph. Pasadena's great for neighbors and people who know people; I think what makes it special is the friendliness, so that you have a chance to actually benefit from the knowledge of others.

Bec said...

I do find this to be especially true in Pasadena. I'm on the board of a local non-profit and the community connections that I hear about and experience are amazing.

Petrea Burchard said...

Ann, I'm glad you're getting a vacation. Now we can bug Linda with our questions.

Rose Idayu Roslan, you made me laugh! Welcome to PDP.

Thank you, good man.

Shell, I learn something new every day. Today I learned something NaNaNooNoo.

Yvonne, I'd love to know what place that was. I wonder why it is that things work that way. Maybe it gets started with a few people, and it catches on, perpetuating itself.

Susan, you are part of that circle.

That's well put, Jean. So many knowledgeable people here, with Caltech, JPL, Art Center, Occidental, etc. One can't help having at least one friendly genius in the neighborhood.

Bec, I'm glad I'm not the only one!

Laurie Allee said...

Wow, what a beautiful study in shadow.

I've noticed the same thing about connectedness since moving to South Pas. Shocking after moving from the west side where everything feels so anonymous.

Glad to be part of your circle, P!

Petrea Burchard said...

Me too, Laurie.:)

Cybele said...

life is a spiral, like the curl in my hair
when you think you've got to the end
there's a new one growing there

Thanks for your intrepidness Petrea! When are you going to take that picture of our front door (on L.R.)?

:}Cybele

Shan said...

That sounds like how we relate to people in my town only on a slightly smaller and WAY less interesting scale.
When I worked for a dentist in town, I always talked to my patients and tried in small talk to figure out a person or situation that we knew in common. I only met someone totally non-relatable occasionally ( And those folks were either too "backwoodsy" or new to town. It probably only takes 3-4 degrees max here. :)

Marie said...

you should photo things that have different meanings to people and at odd angles so you only get a glimpse of the truth but it is enough to unmask it's identity

Lyn said...

It's the cosmic connection that's always there..all the rest is just the game we play, the Maya.
Love this post..thanks..

Virginia said...

Hey, I can see the light on LInda's hair. I thought you did that intentionally ! COol cool photo. Oh yeah, when you get my age you'll know everyone and their brother as we like to say. Small world.

Ahemmm, we can see who does the heavy lifting in Linda's office. The boss is off lollygagging in PS it seems! Hmmmm.
V

Lowell said...

I love this photo and Linda is lovely. I think.

;-)

Anonymous said...

That is a terrible photo and this blog is an example of why the internet is wrong.

Ms M said...

Really like the feel of this photo. (Anon must be having a bad day...)

I like what you wrote about connectedness, a circle. And glad you feel that where you live. Part of it is also your openness to others. :>)

Anonymous said...

Is that an office? How lovely and cozy.

Petrea Burchard said...

Aha! Cybele! Now I know who you are. Oh, I love your house! Boz and I will be by one of these days when the light is right, and we'll get that shot.

But no, that's exactly it Shan. Your kids went to school together. Or your printer knows your dentist. Or something like that. Big small town. It's not less interesting to me.

Sure, Marie, I'm open to suggestions.

Lyn, thanks, and you're welcome, too.

Virginia, I can't tell you how honored I am that you're checking in from Paris. I hope you're having a blast! And yes, Linda does some heavy lifting. She's always being thanked in speeches around here.

Hee hee, Jacob.

Thanks for your suggestion, Jessica, I'll check it out.

Anonymous, I disagree that the internet is wrong, but you have the right to say so. It's fine that you don't like the photo. You should feel free to say so. You don't need to be anonymous to do that. You're welcome to disagree here, as long as you're respectful.

Thanks, Ms. M. Blogging has opened up my experience, gotten me out of the house (as opposed to keeping me stuck at the desk, believe it or not). It has also increased my circle around the country and around the world in amazing ways. I'm sure you can relate. This is why I disagree with Anonymous--the internet is fantastic for this reason, even if everything else about it is wrong.

High ceilings, beautiful light, gorgeous old wood furnishings. Yes, Hiker, and Linda's office even has a private sink inside a wooden closet. Sneaky.

Cafe Pasadena said...

Where's Petrea the loner, the stay at homer??

Connectedness (and that's not really the word I want today!) is how we do it in the Pasadena area. For a long, long time.
That's the way it s/b - here, there & everywhere.

toast said...

That's a lovely office... I love the plants she has in there. Six degrees of separation is right! I think the close connectedness must lend itself to the feeling of a tight-knit community, a feeling I miss since I moved into the anonymity of a huge, sprawling city.

Anonymous said...

hey. you forgot to use the flash!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Yes, dearest Petrea, we are all connected. Connected as people and connected to our animals and wildlife, to water and through all the roots underground by the trees.

We have intrinsic strength because of this.

Petrea Burchard said...

Would that we all realized it, eh?