A city is a series of stories.

Sometimes they're written and drawn on buildings by people.

The human inclination to mark surroundings is as old as cave paintings. It's the urge to say I was here. I did something.

The city changes over time. Signs come down, buildings are destroyed or painted over. Sometimes words remain, disjointed urban poetry freed of context. 

Stories are everywhere when you know where to look for them.

Richard Porter is a writer for Live in Everett. He lives here and drinks coffee.