Viewing San Francisco From the Inside and the Inherent Narcissism Therein

So in section this week we talked a bit about how we view the city and the stigma against being a tourist. The question posed, at least by the slide presentation, was "How do you view San Francisco?" I had this immediate need to prove myself. This desire to broadcast how well I knew the city I claimed to be from. Like I would win some award if I could just name more obscure landmarks and out hella everyone else in the room. And the more I sat there and listened, the more I realized we all have this strange internalized need to never be a tourist. We all want to view every city we visit like this:
                                                                                                           
But really, by doing that we're forcing ourselves to see everything like this:
 
 Which is just no way to learn. Wandering around the city when you belong there, you definitely notice the people who don't. But within that group are the tourists- and yes, they do more often than not get in the way and make me want to cry when all I want is a damn doughnut, but at least they're smiling- and the people who just seem lost. Refusing to enjoy being a tourist, not buying the maps, trying to act like what you know what you're doing is going to get you seriously lost. Especially in a place like San Francisco where the streets make no sense 'cause they all wrap in on each other, occasionally change name, and more often than not don't have street signs.
Point is, my view of San Francisco, the one that comes from living five minutes outside of it my whole life, looks something like this:
 
(Because that's where my chiropractor is)

 
(Because that's how I get literally everywhere)
 

(Because I've been talking to this guy for years--his name's Oscar)

 
(And because I've walked down this street more times than I can remember)
But that's just one person's perspective. And it's not any better than this one:

 
Nor is it any worse, for that matter. (I only say that because that is an admittedly pretty picture.)
When I think of San Francisco, I think of the places I've been going since before I could walk. I think of home. And I have this problem where when people visit I tend to just take them to my favorite places to eat and forget that the tourist traps exist. At least until after we eat, anyway. It's okay to want to be familiar with big cities or small cities or whatever, but as a culture we really need to let go of this idea that we're better than someone just because we don't want our picture taken in front of a landmark.