Silver City, New Mexico 

For years now I have heard a lot of complaining about Big Government. Now, finally - perhaps too late for the power of persuasion - I have thought of a response.

Why should we not have Big Government? We have a Big Country! We have a Big Population. It seems self-evident that we should have a big government. We need it.

It does not seem as if I have many local readers, but just in case anyone around here logs in, I want to spread the word that there are two demonstrations scheduled here in Silver City protesting the current national administration from their Big Teardown. One is near the conference center, I am told, protesting the firing of 45 forest service new hires in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I guess the current administration has a problem with trails and clean bathrooms in National Parks and forests.

There will be an anti-Trump protest in front of the Watts Building on the intersection of Swan and Silver Heights Boulevard. Both of these are scheduled for 3:00 tomorrow afternoon - Friday the 21st of February. Hope to see you there!

Yesterday I saw a demonstration protesting the deportation of immigrants. Go, Silver City!

Silver City, New Mexico 

The other day I just happened to be passing the Future Forge and yielded to an impulse to see it. A young woman named Sammy met me at the door and offered to show me around. With pleasure!

The building does not look very big from the front so I was surprised by the resources it contains. It has a general workspace, a room with sewing machines for textile work, another room for jewelry making (including stone cutters and polishers) rooms containing all kinds of equipment for all kinds of projects.

It houses a laser cutter, a water cutter, equipment for silk-screening, and a 3D printer!

I am sure I have forgotten as much about what the Future Forge offers as I have mentioned. Sammy said that it is an unusual resource for a community the size of Silver City to offer. Big cities often have maker spaces, I was told, but they are not so common in a town our size.

Stop by for a visit! You may be inspired to join our community of artists.

Silver City, New Mexico

All of a sudden my daughter was out of a job. Trump had made an executive order abolishing all kinds of people’s livelihoods, non-profit organizations’ funding, and Medicaid - and God knows what else. It was a bad day, very traumatic. She had turned down other work in order to take this contract project, which was projected to last for four years.

Then within the next couple of days, everything was back on. Reportedly, Trump had rescinded his order. The crisis was over.

Some commentators expressed the view that chaos was his aim. I thought that was right on. I still do, but a few hours later I had a bizarre emotional reaction. I felt grateful to him for a brief moment - a warm flush of gratitude before my mind said, “What on earth are you doing?”

Why would I have any positive feelings towards this man who seemingly tried to take so much away from so many people?

I wrote during the term of G. W. Bush that we were a nation of hostages, but I never felt grateful to him. So what is different with Trump? I think it is because we have the same hostage situation feeling - in spades!

“Off with their heads!” cries the Red Queen, and the potential beheaded are grateful when they get to keep their noggins safely on their shoulders - until next time.

Silver City, New Mexico 

Communications are supposed to be so wonderful nowadays, but I am not so sure. I could have complained years ago about the demise of comprehensive phone books. Maybe Idid. I am not saying the development was preventable. People seem to feel the need for more privacy and more protection than they used to. Maybe they do. I am not sure, though, that the lack of public access to phone numbers really protects anybody. Am I only hearing a lot more about scams than I used to because I am an “advanced adult” - heh - or are there really more scammers out there? I think the latter.

Silver City, New Mexico 

The Internet and our modern communication systems have a big unexpected consequence. Who could have foreseen that they would sometimes make communications more difficult than ever? Texting is probably the most popular form of contemporary communication. Of course, this is an old lady talking. Maybe the very young talk to even close friends and family through a website. What do I know? 

In my experience, though, most people prefer texting. I myself think of emailing as more a business channel. Maybe that is because most of the communications I get are definitely not personal. The vast majority - though they pretend to care, calling me by my first name and saying they missed me. A five year old could see through that! Especially these days.

So what do you think about a person who does not text and persists in emailing you, even though he has been told you do not have WiFi except in public places? Of course maybe he thinks that will change. I have heard rumors that you can get your email via the telephone.

He does not text message. I have tried (I know, even though I have been told not to!)

Is it not funny how we hold other people to a different standard than we hold ourselves?

And think everyone else is unreasonable?

Oh, you are not like that?

Okay....

Silver City, New Mexico 

Would not it be ironic if in this super information age, when we can theoretically know just about everything, we should lose all permanent records of everything?

Think about it. If everything is online, what happens if it all goes haywire? And with finite resources being what they are, is it not almost inevitable that this will happen eventually? 

I have already lost some data irretrievably. What is to keep this from happening to a lot of people and a lot of data?

Maybe we are even now in an early stage of posthistory.

Silver City, New Mexico

Whew! It went down to 5 degrees F last night. Supposedly. It was going to be 14 degrees when I walked to the Museum today. It sure did not feel like fourteen degrees. I was well prepared though, dressed as warmly as I have ever been since I moved here.

I was expecting no visitors on this cold day, but we have had four. One couple came from central Idaho, where they are experiencing an onslaught of Californians, refugees from wildfires and, I am guessing, high prices.

I predict there will be all kinds of refugees within our country in the next few years: from floods, fires, and draconian abortion laws. I heard that Trump issued 100 executive orders yesterday (Inauguration Day!) What a lot of homework for those of us who feel we should at least try to keep up with what is going on in the country!

I know people who are going to ignore Trump as much as possible. I know people who are happy that their party is in power. I tried to point out that he will be the one with the power - not them. We will see how they feel in four years.

Interesting might be the word to describe what is coming. I only hope what we experience will not be too interesting.

Silver City, New Mexico

A real cold spell has finally visited Silver City, but not as bad as some of the night forecasts in Austin and Denver, which are facing some night temperatures below zero - in the case of Denver, in the teens below zero!

Here it is actually supposed to go up to fifty degrees today. But enough about the weather!

I have seen and read about some retirement communities which are just too controlled and tame for my taste. Silver City is not planned in that kind of way - at least not the part I live in. My neighborhood is pretty random. There are mostly older people nearby, but more people seem to be moving in.

Silver City is fortunate to have many new arrivals who, like me, enjoy the give and take of conversations in person. The tendency of many people to live solely through their phones, ignoring the real live human beings around them, has had me a little worried.

Turns out I am not alone! There is a cover article in the latest Atlantic Monthly about the very real tendency of more people to live solitary lives. The article states that for many people this is their preferred state of being, they think. It seems that they are wrong, though, according to the author of the article.

As for me, I handle solitude well. I enjoy reading and playing word games (yes, online!) as well as with real people, but a game with a literal person or two is way preferable to virtual games. Since I moved here three and 1/2 years ago I am volunteering more, playing Scrabble and Anagrams with real people. I was happy enough not socializing as much, but I am much happier now.

Just the experience of one person - me.

The Atlantic gave me another gift lately, if I remember correctly as to the source. Turns out I am not old - I am experiencing advanced adulthood.

I love it.

Silver City, New Mexico

It takes a lot of courage for many of us to face the new year this year. Ugh! What is going to happen? Will we be facing another pandemic without public support for new vaccines? Will the horrible die-off of species escalate with little or no concern from/by the Federal Government? Will there BE a federal government?

Time will tell, as it has told me altogether too much sometimes in my 77 1/2 years of life.

Right now it is 65 degrees in the middle of winter, but I still need the heat on part of the day. What is that all about? Radiant cold from the land around? Cold settled in my bones? Hypersensitivity? Dunno.

It sure is nice, though, to be able to play Anagrams (otherwise known as Plunder) on my friends porch. I cannot help but hope there will be a fifty-degree day every week or so all winter, in spite of the global warming crisis which cannot be denied.

I am determined to see the silver lining whenever possible in these exceedingly uncertain times.

Oh, and Happy New Year! Yesterday I walked up to the highest point in town on Boston Hill and took pictures in every direction. It was a three hour walk, including one chat, but not really a difficult one. I hope to do it more often this year than last.

If I were not so slow it might have taken a third of that time. Try it or a comparable walking goal - and have a wonderful time!