The second coming of techie invaders in San Francisco is a story decades old. A milestone in this saga was the Google Bus fiasco symbolizing new money pushing out longtime locals and artists. Ten months ago I stitched together quotes from Disney movies that embellish this story.
Thoguh we still have a lot of social and legislative work to do in this city, I hope you’ll just enjoy this fictional startup-kid story for what it is:
Discovering San Francisco
Something is calling you to the West Coast. That one cool friend you kind of know from college insists you visit. So break your bank and book a flight.
Peter Pan: Come on
Wendy: B b but where are we going?
Peter Pan: To Neverland
Wendy: Neverland
Peter Pan: You’ll never grow up there
Falling in Love
One suitcase and a magic carpet ride later you’re here in SF. Your friend shows you a weekend of costume-themed street parties, boutique coffee and endless lounging in Dolores Park. This city promises another decade of joyful youth you want.
Aladdin & Jasmine: A Whole New World
Aladdin: Don’t you dare close your eyes
Jasmine: A hundred thousand things to see
Aladdin: Hold your breath it gets better
Jasmine: I can’t go back to where I used to be
Luxuries
You move to SF and land a dream job job at a startup that’s going to truly change the world. They buy you a Macbook Air, feed you every day and let you come into work at noon. Does life get any better? Well, maybe kinda yea.
Ariel: I’ve got gadets and gizmos a plenty. I’ve got whosits and whatsits galore. No big deal. I want more.
Your first company
Time goes on and you’re tired of working on someone else’s dream. You’re being told what to do and how to do and are not sure if the next round of funding is even coming. You could do it better. So you start your own company and become the boss.
Simba: I’m gonna be the main event, like no king was before. No one sayin’ do this.
Zazu: Now when I said that–
Nala: No one sayin’ be there
Simba: Free to do it all my way
Self-awareness
You believe the work you’re doing is good but for some reason people you don’t know are angry about it.
Ariel: I don’t see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad
And maybe the city actually doesn’t need you or even have space for you.
Alice: Afterall, we haven’t been invited
But, you’ve now spent enough time in San Francisco to learn it hasn’t always been a city of new money hackers.
Pocahontas: You think the only people who are people, are the people who look and think like you.
The Premonition
And some long-time locals throw bricks through bus windows and protest your pure existence in their home.
Gaston: They’ll wreak havoc on our village if we let him wander free. So it’s time to take some action boy!
This is some kind of warning. But you, a kind, thoughtful, sometimes wide-eyed twenty something never meant to hurt anyone is now a target of social politics.
Scar: Even you can’t be caught un aware. A shining new era is tip toeing nearer. And in justice deliciously squared. Be prepared!
Hyena 1: Yeah be prepared.
Hyena 2: yeah we’ll be prepared.
Hyena 3: For what?
Kindness
At this point rent prices, space for artists and social equilibrium is not yet met in San Francisco. The story is to be continued but you start to realize how small this place is.
It’s a world of laughter and a world of tears
It’s a world of hopes and a world of fears
There’s so much that we share
That is time we’re aware
Its a small world after all
People. Regular ol’ people, all around the world, actually, more than 5 million people, are actually interested in journalism.