Log 2: 2-13-25

ATX Flying Squads Braves the Cold!

With an unexpected drop in temperatures this week, it was hard to predict how our young people would decide to navigate our day. We started with a smaller group since a few people decided to wait until it warmed up a little before joining us. Our first mission was to find a hot beverage and a place to sit down and get warm. We headed down W 3rd Street and found Merit Coffee, where we accomplished part of our mission. There was no place to sit down in this small, incredibly busy café, so we stood around awkwardly until everyone had their order and then went outside to discuss wind patterns and how best to avoid those frigid wind chills. It was decided we should head for streets surrounded by buildings for cover, and we made our way towards City Hall. Urban Outfitters caught several of the youth’s attention, so we took our time browsing trendy clothing and accessories like tiny purses, band t-shirts, funny birthday cards, and even vinyls. Eventually, we continued on our journey to visit City Hall and view the People’s Gallery. One of our flyers was asked by security not to skateboard in front of the building, and we talked about how to look for signs and indicators to determine which areas might not welcome skating. Once inside, we were told that viewing the upstairs portion of the People’s Gallery could only be done by appointment, but we were welcome to walk around the first floor, which contained plenty of art by local artists. In one hall, we found cases of figurines, each representing a public servant who worked for Austin in some capacity throughout both distant and recent history. A few of the firefighter figurines wore what looked like an iron cross on his hat, and we investigated further to find these uniforms were worn in 1914 or so, before any relation to Nazi Germany. One of our instigators has a hankering for rabbit holes and later did some digging. It’s actually a Maltese cross related to The Knights Hospitaller. We viewed more art and attempted to decipher the meanings behind several pieces before moving on to find a 7-Eleven, a place to sit and eat, and meet the rest of our crew. We found some outdoor seating, and though still fairly cold, the wind was dying, and the sun was making its way out. An elderly gentleman paused to guess the group's ages, guessing several years younger and sending our young people into a burst of teenage laughter. Our final stop was the State Capitol, and we were all wowed. We explored upstairs and looked down, came back downstairs and looked up, took note of a silent protester, and one of our instigators made mental notes to return and silent protest some opposing views. We made our way to the basement, explored the gift shop, and a teen got an employee to finish Rhianna lyrics for another dollar dare! We were so absorbed with our ventures throughout the Capitol building, that we nearly lost track of time. Luckily, we made it back to our parting spot just in time for pickups. The energy this week was very upbeat despite the weather, and we’re looking forward to the next adventure. As our young people become more acquainted with the city, we’re excited to see where they lead us next.