Presently on a cross country trip in my 1970 Airstream.

Left Florida on 1 June with intention to return by 7 August. Stopped in Buchanan, TN for a while. Crossed MO and NE staying at farms, wineries and such. Spent a good time at the international rally in Rock Springs, WY and experienced the high desert. Did business in many a small town from hardware, to oil change to groceries etc. I like to converse.

From there we headed to Yosemite and luckily stayed in Wanona with a niece. Different perspective being serenaded by the hotel bar pianist. Learned about all the support needed to run the park and what motivated the workers to choose that experience.
Rode down the mountains to wine country and experienced why Morro Bay was a choice escape from the heat. Many Arizonans there.

Our destination was Carlsbad for grandchildren. Rich enclave is Carlsbad.

We are on the return trip and decided to head north rather than Phoenix. Still, had to pass through Mojave Preserve to get to Kingman. Back in smaller town world. Relatively cool. We made it to Gallup where I now post. No AC needed last night.

My wife's family moved from Chicago, in the 50's to opportunity in Southern CA. My father in law was offered an opportunity in ALBQ, but was shifted to Gallup. There was an uranium boom there.

My wife's mother, after the visit, declined. My wife declared yesterday to her deceased mother, that she came back to see how it had changed.

The eastern part of I 40 in AZ is dotted with Native tourist chatchkies. We didn't stop as we have touristed out. There were few if any cars in the lots. The Natives were not leaving, regardless. It made me think about their plight.

Sitting here in Gallup, it occured to me that the locals weren't leaving either until all was lost. They will just make the best of the situation circling the wagons.

Coastal elites, of which I am one, are not moving to Gallup or Ft. Stockton or some small Rock Springs.
The people in these towns took pride in servicing my needs and have, frankly, lives filled with all the emotions. But, they sense, they are forgotten.
The flow of money bypasses them and they need an outlet for their frustrations.

They are as stubborn as we all our, in our way. But they know everyone in town and have to contend with how their society is managed. Democracies allow for voices to be heard, but speaking out of line gets ostracization. That is what makes small towns shrink. Free thinkers move to places where free thinking is allowed. What remains is a redundancy that is hard to budge.

Met a fellow in the grocery in Rock Springs with a holstered 45 on his hip. I stared, perhaps a bit too long, and he responded that I shouldn't worry, he didn't plan to use it. It made me wonder why, then, he needed to carry.

I don't know how the divide that has evolved in the US will shrink. But in spite of the Buck Fiden stickers, he is on track to share the nation's wealth. As we drove into NM, a sign declaring that the infrastructure monies were flowing to the roads. There were billboards in AZ letting women know that the health services they needed were available in NM.

People will have to read the signs, we have to make sure they see them.