Saturday, January 28th, 2012
Have you ever wondered what makes people live where they live? Why is it that person A will live here, while person B can't stand it and needs to live elsewhere? On top of that, I wonder what makes people the way they are; is it shaped by the landscape, or by the collective local culture, or both? Or is it that they are all somehow interrelated, and that there is no simple answer. I suppose that it is the latter of all these options, but I did gain some perspective today in regards to the regional climate and landscape.
The sky was just hinting at dawn when I decided to roll out of bed and into action. I had a hard time convincing myself to do it, but the teddy bears talked me into it. I walked into the truck stop for the morning routine. Mockingbirds clustered along the dumpsters behind the truck stop, along my route. They sang a bright and merry song as they scavenged for food (if that is what you call it) from the dumpster. A salty breeze blew in from the ocean. I'm not sure how far I was from the coast at the time, but I certainly couldn't walk down to the beach if I wanted to. The warm red of the rising sun painted the clouds in broad swaths. Who knew such a simple task would hold a sublime moment? I think it may be that every moment has that potential if we choose to see it that way, but alas, I am all too human.
I really enjoy driving along the Gulf Coast. The landscape is flat, but it contains a riot of life. Not only that, I enjoy some of the culture too. For a change, I turned on the radio this morning. Normally, I prefer to be with my thoughts, since they are more entertaining. (seriously, I'll laugh out loud for no apparent reason, but something on my mind is hilarious.) A quick scan of the available channels included 4 evangelical christian channels, a few country stations, a mix station playing all the stuff I know I like but won't broaden my horizons, and a single gem. I found a station (104.3!) that played *ahem* “southern soul, zydeco, and today's R&B.” I'm sure that there was a fourth kind of music that was in there, but the mix struck me as only possible in southern Louisiana. One of the Zydeco style songs I heard sounded like Hip Hop with some accordion thrown in. Most amusing!
A little later, I got to hear stories on one of the Christian channels about “Friends from the Pond.” The cast included a dim witted turtle, a grumpy duck, a frog with a Brooklyn accent, and an Alligator with a deep voice, named Methuselah. The one full story I heard was about mysteries and the gang solving one. A fox was in there on business. Turns out he was scouting the site for a movie. Everyone was excited until they asked if the movie would have “bad language.” It did, so they all turned down the chance at stardom on principle. I'm impressed at their moral fiber. I would have said, “f*ck it. How much they paying me?”
The swampy lowlands gave way to a drier woodland, more akin to a scrub land the further south I got. I turned in a southwesterly direction away form the coast. This part of Texas is sparsely populated and huge ranches dominate the country side. Not as much to see here, mostly because I was getting tired. Plenty of oil equipment and tanker trucks though.
Of late, something has been getting to me. I think it may be my slowly realizing that while this job is convenient and pays well enough, I can be doing so much more with my life. It is as if I am getting memos from the future saying that I need to do something more important and change something some how. I'm sure the answer will come soon enough. For now, I'm just going to do my best and look for the brightest part in everything. Unless it is staring at the sun. That wouldn't help much in the long run, would it?
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