It's Still Albuquerque

Mikaela says:
Watching Maggie watch the returns last night made me sad for her, for progressives, and for Albuquerque. My poor city.

So much to protect, so little information about the people who can help do that. How can this happen, Maggie? The world of information that makes it incomprehensible to us that people would vote for David Steele or against a living wage is simply not the same world of information that most people live in -- here in Albuquerque or anywhere else for that matter. What is mainstream is necessarily invested in the status quo, and the status quo is growth, at any cost. Economic and physical.

Driving to work this morning, listening to my boy Elliot Smith, balloons floated over the metropolis. How surreal is that? Here in this city that mourns, these majestic canvas moons remind us of the unbearable lightness of being. After a night of hot-air filled politicians, we get regal phantoms. And yes, their days here in the Duke City are numbered -- the balloons, that is. Our growth -- sprawl and infill, by the way -- has taken away their landing spots. Natural gas pumps and power lines add danger to their flight, and soon, many pilots will skip the Albuquerque balloon festival to go to quieter spots. Maybe Socorro will reap the benefits of our growth. (Photo courtesy: Rainbow Ryders)


But the struggle continues in the light of morning. To quote my favorite whiny white boy, "Everybody knows...EVERYBODY knows...we only live a day, but it's brilliant anyway."

And really, isn't that the point? We do what we can. We struggle. We pay attention to what's beautiful. We work toward making the days we have easier for those who struggle around us.

We fill with light and heat. Sometimes it is unbearable.