This Land Is My Land

Since I've lived in Los Angeles for so long, I've gotten used to being in a crowded city where space is at a premium. So naturally it's very startling to drive hundreds of miles at a time with nothing around but land, land, land. My first thought was, "Wow! You could fit about a zillion Target stores out here." Then I got more serious in my analysis of all the empty land. Couldn't we just move the state of Israel to the US Southwest or Midwest, thus solving the whole Middle East crisis? Andrea, if you're reading this, please let me know if this is a viable option and I will look into it.

The other thing I noticed today is that Texas sucks. I was extremely nervous entering Texas. We mapped out our route so that we only had to cross a small portion of it. But even then, I was sure we were going to end up being chased down, then drawn and quartered. We are both pretty easy-going and tend to get along just about anywhere we travel, but there was just something about Texas that scared me. I never thought I'd be happy to enter Oklahoma, but when we finally crossed the border, I was so relieved. I know Oklahoma has its problems, too, but I felt like I could talk us out of trouble with my native knowledge of the state. I did take Oklahoma History in high school, which sounds odd, I know, since I've told most of you I grew up in London.

My final thought for the day is about ghost towns. It's very eerie and sad to see the skeletons of once-thriving towns. What was it like there? What happened to the people? What must it feel like to see a highway built to bypass your town and businesses? There's something comforting about living in a thriving city, full of life and commerce and humanity. Let the critics make fun of Los Angeles, but it's alive.

One more thing...Texas suuuuuucks.