THE DISAFFECTED LEFT
OR, CHANGE YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT
23 August, 2009
by Pirate Joe ©
It's quiet up here
on the mountain. Frankly, all I can hear is the whistle of the wind and
the flapping of the tattered banner on the flagpole behind me. The
grass is a bit on the tall side, as there is no longer any foot traffic
to wear it down.
It wasn't always this way. Last year at this time it was almost
impossible to find even enough space to establish a lookout post. Folks
by the hundreds of thousands came through to do their respective jobs,
indeed, it seemed as if everyone in the country came through in the
space of a few short months.
Then there was victory. What an experience those of us who were up here
that ningt had! Tears and celebrations! The slow but sure sinking-in of
the realisation that the long, bleak night was over.
Such a dawn I have never seen: the sun had never
been this bright, the sky had never been so blue. Weeks of fêtes followed, leading up to
what would be a crescendo on the 20th of January. The din was of such
intensity that I could hardly hear George W. Bush say, in his waning
hours, "nothing is going to change". What exactly does he mean? Ahhh,
who needs to listen to him anymore? Turn that radio off. Let the
celebrations continue.
30 March,
2009: Is it my imagination or am I not seeing some familiar
faces? No, new folks are still coming in, it's easy to miss friends in
a crowd.
16 May,
2009: Today, some new folks told me that a small patch of land
was being cleared at the base of the mountain. How much? About three
square meters you say? Hmmm.....what could anyone ever do with that
piddling amount?
13 June,
2009: Everyone here now is a stranger...I haven't seen any of my
friends in over two months.
4 July,
2009: I can't believe it's the forth of July already...time
flies...only about 15% the people here now, and just one new one. I
found out what that small land clearing is all about: today that
"newbie" told me that some sort of sign is being erected.
9 July,
2009: Droves of people are leaving.
28 July,
2009: July is just about over now. You know something? I'm the
only one here. It's been that way for more than two weeks. What could
have happened? I'll give it a little more time, but just a little.
7 August,
2009: The end of the first week in August. Its been three weeks
since I've seen another human being. No use in staying here any longer,
just as soon as I finish packing my knapsack, I'll be heading down.
Let's see here: some food, my cameras, (got some good pix, can't wait
to get home and develop them) oh, and the machete: those trails have
gotten rather overgrown, you know. Geeze! Just a few months ago these
paths were a wide as boulevards...
I'm only a few hundred meters from the bottom now....there's the road.
It sure isn't used much anymore, I didn't hear any traffic on my way
down. It would be great to get a ride. Oh, man! Here comes a
convertible, what luck, he's stopping.
Thanks for the ride, man, sure I'll throw my stuff in the back. What's he got on the radio? Oh,
Rush Limbaugh.
Before you hit the gas, give me a second to check that sign: I almost forgot all about it. I
wonder what it says....
What did it say, you ask? It says "sold out". Let's get out of here.
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