Main Street of America

I spent some time this afternoon in downtown Jenks, along the main road. I was waiting for someone and had a chance to just sit at a bench and watch the world go by. Jenks was really bustling this afternoon. People were parking and walking to the various antique shops, hair salons, coffeeshops, restaurants, etc

For the most part, it was mainly young females. Most of the males were in pickup trucks traversing the main drag. Maybe the crowd was due to school being out now.

One very interesting thing was that a political ad was being filmed for TV. It was Scott Pruitt, whom I have met once while lobbying for my pet cause, charter schools. He was then fairly powerful, politically speaking and a ranking Republican. In person he is rather short of stature and frail. As he waited for the film crew, anxiously pacing around, a woman would appear every few minutes and powder his nose. Screens were meticulously placed and it appeared they were waiting for just the right light to start the filming for a commercial. This glimpse into the making of a political ad made me think of how contrived and phoney they all are. Carefully crafted bits of neo-reality for the masses.

The real activity in "Jenks" though is across the river (on the Tulsa side) up and down Riverside Drive between 81st and 101st streets south. Casinos, shopping, dining, banking, and lots of places to just hang out. The nightlife hotspot there is at the Riverwalk.

I did enjoy my laid back afternoon on the Main Street of Jenks, America.