Somebody blew the stop sign four doors down the street. There was no screech of brakes, just a loud "thud" and the sound of rubber scraping across the pavement. Airbags deployed but no serious injuries.
The hazards of driving in Sun City.
The news is full of stories about the Boston Marathon - last year's bombing, this year's race, and the determination of the people of that city to run on. "Boston Strong." It's clearly a city with a strong sense of cohesion and loyalty. What we'd call patriotism if it were on a national scale.
As I've read and watched those stories I've thought of how different that is from Phoenix. I've never seen the stats but a large percentage of the local population (a majority?) is from somewhere else. The standard conversation starter here is, "Where you from?" And most people are first generation residents. That doesn't make for a strong sense of community.
When the Deetroit Redwings come to town their jerseys outnumber the Coyote jerseys at the arena. It doesn't help that all our our professional teams miss the playoffs almost every year. And there's no landmark to symbolize the city. No Empire State Building, no Space Needle, no Arch, no Calder. Several million people came from someplace else seeking their fortune or an escape from northern winters and have no particular tie to the geographical location. No roots.
I don't suppose it makes much difference. Having lived in places with a very strong sense of identity I don't know that I feel any loss for now living where that doesn't exist. Maybe if we had a Boston-like experience it would bring it out in people but I don't think so. The shooting that killed several and wounded Rep. Gabbie Giffords was certainly the focus for quite some time but I didn't get the sense it galvanized the community like the Boston bombing has. I suspect there's no substitute for a community made up of people who have lived in the same place for several generations.
Wunderground.com (Weather Underground) has recently redesigned their site and it is COOL! Go there, find your nearest reporting station, and look at all the data they show. Mouse over the data points on the graph, which has lines for several weather related statistics. Almost addicting.
Pam will be home in a little over an hour and I've got some chores I want to get done before then. Should have some significant news to report right here tomorrow night.
Until then....
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