Things I Think About

Each year somewhere around now, I have a look back at my ever increasing years and write down things about myself that seemed important, at least at the time

1) I cannot seem to recover from PTSD following the loss of our house in Hurricane Katrina even if it has been 10 years.

2) I once took a year long motorcycle trip and visited every national park in the US.

3) I am so glad I did so much traveling when I was young and could enjoy it more.

4) I spent so much time in church as a youngster, I said I would never ever set foot in one again and haven't

5)  I spent years studying organized religion and realized that it is a huge power trip by the leaders who want only power and control over many.  National politics is much the same.

6) I am very spiritual, knowing that we are all part of the same natural web of life.  I find myself and all others in nature.

7)  I am probably the shyest person on earth.

8) I am completely at ease with a microphone in my hand standing in front of 10,000 people.

9) I question everything. Always have and always will.  It got me in lots of trouble and still does.

10) I love learning and never want to stop.

11) I read drug store trash novels.

12) Motorcycles mean freedom to me.

13) I only worked to feed my travel addiction.

14) Retirement is OK, but getting on a ladder or picking up something heavy is much harder to do.

15)  Surviving Katrina was the hardest thing I ever did. No, quitting smoking was the hardest thing I ever did. Surviving Katrina was the second hardest thing.

16) When I came out, the whole world suddenly came clear.

17) I think swimming is staying alive in the water, but I loved to water ski.

18) Sailing is a great way to spend any amount of time.

19) I rarely leave the house without a camera, but am not a great photographer and it's time I accepted that.

20) I am a hack writer. Most all writers are better than I am, but I still keep grinding out words.

21) Everything I have done in my life to make a living was a success.

22) I was 48 years old before I found my passion and earned a living at it.

23) The politicians of the United States are owned by corporations. Their running of the government is only an attempt to keep their jobs.  

24) I think my great-nephew is a really cool kid.

25) I moved to Arkansas to my dream house.  This house and land makes retirement fantastic.

Mountain View Arkansas - Small Town Living

We made a choice 5 years ago to live in Mountain View AR when we both retired. I had wanted to leave New Orleans for a very long time. Hurricane Katrina made me know that decision was the right one.

Living here is different, for sure. First of all, our little town and county are beautiful.  More than beautiful. 

                                       The view from our front door

 It’s a rural small town with a co-op, feed stores, and tack stores. Tack is what you put on horses so you can ride them.  I think.  Anyway, you can buy it here. You can buy overalls, muck boots, cowboy boots, 50-pound bags of almost anything. Not what we are used to in New Orleans. At all.

Hay baled in the fields

If you don’t want animal food or muck boots, your choices become a bit limited.  There are a couple of local grocery stores with limited choices and of course, a Walmart. This is Arkansas, after all. Walmart started here and its headquarters are about 3 hours away from here. The rest of the stores are either second hand stores, souvenir stores or antique stores.

The choices are unusual at our rural Walmart.  Seems as if there is really no call for red beans or Zatarain’s seafood boil here in Mountain View.  Don’t ask for file’ to make file’ gumbo. Store personnel haven't the faintest notion what that is. The file’ or the gumbo. There are some folks who relocated after Katrina here, but they have not opened any restaurants or grocery stores. They must have relatives back in Louisiana who send them care packages when needed.

Restaurants are in short supply as well. There are a few family-owned ‘American’ restaurants serving hamburgers or maybe tuna fish sandwiches.   And maybe apple pie. I don’t really know because they are not accessible nor do they serve any vegan food.  They may not know what the word means and sure don't care if mobility impaired folks can get in their restaurant or not.  

There’s a Mexican restaurant that has changed hands at least 3 times since we have been here. That does not bode will for the next owner.

Here in Stone Country, we have stones. Lots and lots of stones. We run out of ideas about what to do with them.  We haul them around and build fences out of stones. And we budget for replacement of lawnmower blades because we need them. The rocks come up out of the ground every spring and we run into those stones regularly.

Built without mortar.  Science and art and beautiful

One thing I find so strange about Stone County specifically, and Arkansas in general. 51% of our population gets some sort of government assistance. This county is so poor that most get food stamps and welfare.  But no one wants the government to interfere with their lives. Store owners will never install accessible ramps or clear their aisles for folks who use mobility scooters or wheelchairs. Why? They will not do it because it’s federal law. Remember, “We don’t want no guv’mint telling us what to do.” But we will take checks every month so we can buy groceries. And we will keep electing the people who are trying as hard as they can to take welfare away or reduce it. Go figure.  

These US legislators from Arkansas voted against Hurricane Sandy federal relief:

Tom Cotton

Tim Griffin

Steve Womack

Arkansas is a prime target for tornados.  Here’s hoping there is never another one. But if there is a natural disaster, Arkansas will be first in line asking for federal aid. Why do you do vote against yourselves, you hypocrites? And yet Arkansans keep reelecting them the very people who do not have Arkansas needs at heart. 

There are no jobs in Stone County.  Youngsters aspire to be clerks at Walmart. Oh, they can work in chicken-processing plants. Wanna kill chickens every day? There is a big tourist industry here, so there are service jobs, but tourism is seasonal, so winters are times of unemployment.

For all of its problems, Mountain View is a beautiful place to live.  It doesn’t cost much to live here. And we love it.  

As a social activist since the 60s, I can’t seem to stop being one.  I don’t march anymore, but I do write letters about accessibility to the editor.  Maybe Mountain View can start making some businesses accessible. It would be nice.