Countdown to Zero

There’s this sci-fi novel about the end of the world. In it, the people of earth are trying to figure out how to get all the people on earth off. And with that there are those in denial who think it’s just some kind of fake news. Suffice to say, some get off and some don’t. Those who do are shepherded to another planet, similar to earth, far, far away in another corner of the galaxy. And those who don’t, well we the readers never find out.

That’s kind of how I see Texas now. It’s almost October here, and the temperature today is 99⁰F. And coming off two of the hottest summers I’ve experienced here in nearly 45 years. In other words, I feel like one hell of a slow-braised rump roast.

And that’s just the geological climate. There’s also the magisterial environment. Is Texas in a battle with Florida to see how quickly they can shred the constitution and instead of govern, just flat-out rule, those who didn’t get on the spaceship?

Coming here was an experiment of sorts. Looking for a smaller place to raise a young boy, a more friendly home town place. And in that regard, it worked. But that was 40 years ago. Friendly Texas? Well, I’ll let each and everyone of you all decide for yourself. Gun friendly for sure. Petrol friendly, no doubt. Women’s reproductive rights, nah, not really. Anyway, you get the gist.

For me, Texas has become like California, but with a different civic direction. The California of my youth no longer exists. The population has quadrupled to 40 million since I was living there. And Texas has also swollen, more than doubling since I moved here to nearly 30 million. Dallas was a town when I moved here. It’s now a sprawling multiplex city.

No need to say, for those who know me, but the political climate here is fire hot red. Even the Dallas mayor recently went over to the other, redder, side. If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em?

Or, catch the nearest space shuttle outa here?  To be continued….

 

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