Flagstaff and Savers
I leave the stunning Grand Canyon and travel the small roads to Flagstaff, where I want to go to the library to catch up on my internet work and to Savers to see if I can get someone there to donate winter things for Standing Rock.
The 2 lane 'highway' I'm on has no shoulder - hell it has few roads and even fewer turn-outs. It does have a few crosses along the road side but it is hard to see how someone can kill themselves here unless they're involved in a head-on collision - or maybe they broke down and someone else slammed into them.
But the road is pretty straight, lined on both sides with low maybe 1 foot bushes with small yellow flowers and a straggling of what appear to be junipers grown into stringy trees with trunks maybe 3" in diameter.
What is surprising is that I see not one rump sign - actually not any presidential candidate sign. I see signs for mayor, sheriff, and a couple of propositions, but it's like the presidential race is not even on the horizon.
The same holds true for when I get into Flagstaff: more local election signs but not one rump bumper sticker even - nor Hillary or Jill.
When I pull into the library parking lot, two young white punker men dresser in black with enough silver hardware on their faces and limbs excitedly approach my truck, taking pictures and happily exclaiming over every word.
They tell me they are punk rockers and at their last rave they had a rump piñata & I should have been there to see the crowd react! The piñata was smashed and then everyone continued to smash it until there was nothing but tiny bits of confetti left. I hoped the audience was registered voters!
When I leave the library, I drive through Flagstaff rush hour traffic. Again I see a few strained smiles, one enthusiastic honk and wave, two half-hearted middle fingers and that's it.
At Savers, I speak with the manager after I've collected $101 worth of winter jackets and 3 pairs of lined boots. He cannot donate but asks me how much I want to spend. He will not talk "politics" with me although he is registered to vote. I want to spend $25. He reduces it to $60. I try $50 but no go.
I decide it's too much - I'm not sure if the jackets will be warm enough or the boots either. I ask him to come see my truck, which he does. He reads out loud everything USA Today has said and looks at me in astonishment when I tell him I'm quoting them. He says he wants to look it up and I give him the date.
He apologizes again for not being able to donate anything but I find out that all Savers are having a 50% off sale on October 10th. Maybe I'll have collected some funds by then!
The 2 lane 'highway' I'm on has no shoulder - hell it has few roads and even fewer turn-outs. It does have a few crosses along the road side but it is hard to see how someone can kill themselves here unless they're involved in a head-on collision - or maybe they broke down and someone else slammed into them.
But the road is pretty straight, lined on both sides with low maybe 1 foot bushes with small yellow flowers and a straggling of what appear to be junipers grown into stringy trees with trunks maybe 3" in diameter.
What is surprising is that I see not one rump sign - actually not any presidential candidate sign. I see signs for mayor, sheriff, and a couple of propositions, but it's like the presidential race is not even on the horizon.
The same holds true for when I get into Flagstaff: more local election signs but not one rump bumper sticker even - nor Hillary or Jill.
When I pull into the library parking lot, two young white punker men dresser in black with enough silver hardware on their faces and limbs excitedly approach my truck, taking pictures and happily exclaiming over every word.
They tell me they are punk rockers and at their last rave they had a rump piñata & I should have been there to see the crowd react! The piñata was smashed and then everyone continued to smash it until there was nothing but tiny bits of confetti left. I hoped the audience was registered voters!
When I leave the library, I drive through Flagstaff rush hour traffic. Again I see a few strained smiles, one enthusiastic honk and wave, two half-hearted middle fingers and that's it.
At Savers, I speak with the manager after I've collected $101 worth of winter jackets and 3 pairs of lined boots. He cannot donate but asks me how much I want to spend. He will not talk "politics" with me although he is registered to vote. I want to spend $25. He reduces it to $60. I try $50 but no go.
I decide it's too much - I'm not sure if the jackets will be warm enough or the boots either. I ask him to come see my truck, which he does. He reads out loud everything USA Today has said and looks at me in astonishment when I tell him I'm quoting them. He says he wants to look it up and I give him the date.
He apologizes again for not being able to donate anything but I find out that all Savers are having a 50% off sale on October 10th. Maybe I'll have collected some funds by then!
posted by Xan @ 3:33 PM
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