Positive Universe Abstracts

by Don Nash

Author’s Note- no more “notes� so, make note of that. I’ve about beaten that silly metaphor to death.

An ill wind blows over Gallup

Shortly after we landed the tour bus in Gallup, New Mexico, the wind began to blow. Nasty dirt laced south wind that sandblasted one’s flesh as well as sent the standing signs and billboards in and around Gallup to a perpendicular slant to the horizon. We took this to be a bad omen. Well that and the drunks that seemed to be an infestation peculiar to Gallup.

We’d made the Gallup detour on account of Gallup being the “turquoise� heart of the known universe. We visited several merchants in Gallup and golly, not a one of those merchants was authentic Navajo. Most of the stone merchants seem to be of an “Arab� origin. That is neither here nor there and may be construed as simple observation. I’d made the foolish assumption that sellers of “authentic� Navajo silver and of course turquoise, would indeed be Navajo. My bad! My naive and possibly “racist� presumption bad! Gallup is the capital of Navajo Nation and yeah I know that Window Rock, Arizona is the “official� capital of Navajo Nation but, Gallup is the mercantile heart of Navajo Nation and so I just sort of well, had this stupid expectation motif working and as admitted previous, my bad.

You see, Window Rock and the Navajo rulers of Navajo Nation are busy selling out the cultural heritage of the Navajo people and I didn’t know that the selling of Navajo heritage had spread to Gallup. As admitted, my bad. However, the selling of Navajo heritage and pride seems a profitable venture and given that the Navajo Nation can’t expect much in the way of aid, assistance, or even wise counsel from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (that would be the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs), Navajo Nation is just sort of groping around in the mercantile dark. That would explain some of the public drunkenness and the public neglect of the alcoholism. The political rulers of Navajo Nation are, after all, worlds of busy with air racing in Monument Valley and of course organizing air races and ignoring the alcoholism are just so time consuming. So before the rulers of Navajo Nation get their knickers all in a knot for my indelicate commentary on Gallup and air racing and Navajo issues in general, this is all just on-the-face observations. We’re busy looking for a new Homeland and Gallup wasn’t even on our search agenda but was, a sideline visit to acquire some prime chunks of turquoise and possibly some “genuine� Navajo silver work. I did get the most amazing chunk of turquoise and that was the whole purpose of the Gallup visit. The rest was just icing on a wise-ass cake. One wind ravaged and blasted cake but, fait accompli.

So with the south wind blowing up our collective arse and bidding Gallup a sober if not fond adieu, it’s north to Grand Junction for a re-visit and some explaining about the first visit to Grand Junction, Colorado.

Grand Junction thy name is arrogance wrapped in greedy hostility and an unwelcoming committee that holds a sign reading “you aren’t welcome here so just leave your money at the gate and move a quick two-step onward! DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU IN THE ASS ON YOUR WAY WEST, EAST, NORTH, OR SOUTH! Sincerely, the Grand Junction Unwelcoming Committee circa 2007.�

Mining, drilling, and resource exploitation of all manner are what’s driving the economy of Grand Junction in the middle of 2007. Now there’s not much employment for many of Grand Junction denizens as mining requires miners and drilling concerns require drillers so, rough-necks, engineers, and of course miners are necessary for the exploitation endeavors. Those guys come from outside of Grand Junction proper and live at the motels that are in abundance in G.J..

The motels and restaurants need loads of help. Just about every motel and restaurant in G.J. wants help. The down side to this is, one can’t find affordable housing in or even close to G.J.. Problematic I admit. We looked at a ridiculously high priced studio apartment in Grand Junction and after getting the heebie-jeebies about the looks of the studio apartment, we decided against wasting money and a slum-esque living arrangement. After several days of life in Grand Junction and the high cost of living out of a Motel 6, we decided that Grand Junction wasn’t very welcoming to outsiders or miners/roughnecks/engineer types.

Grand Junction has a ‘farmers market’ thingy that runs on G.J. Fridays and Saturdays. However, the farmers market thingy won’t allow you to bring your dog. Well, that plants a huge hitch in the family giddy-up and if the cracker-ass farmers market in G.J. isn’t about to allow dogs well, they’ll be well advised to not allow anyone. No dogs no money. Not from we-’uns! That’s just more of that previously mentioned G.J. polite hospitality that had been rumored to exist but, in actual fact was missing in civic and social action. One might be advised to not frequent any of the “locals� hangouts. One might just get their outsider fanny kicked around a parking lot and Wal-Marts would be just as convenient as would one of the cowboy bars that water the local Coloradans.

So, we had made the Four Corners Circuit and came up craps. You know, snake-eyes! On the return visit to G.J., we circuited back through Utah and viola! Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and that’s the Four Corners. One more elucidating entry about Arizona. On our way from Socorro to Gallup, we stopped for a break in Spingerville, Arizona. Walk gently in Springerville and don’t ask too many questions. Especially about polygamy. You’ll get the evil-eye and it IS creepy and will cause the hair on the back of one’s neck to stand up and be ready for the scalping. Springerville don’t cotton to questions or stopping for more than a tank of gas and that is probably for the best. To any and all concerned.

Here’s the deal. As America continues it’s rapid decline into tyranny, repression, and corrupt politics, more and more Americans will find themselves having to flee their homes and properties for any of a number of reasons. It will be a twenty first century version of the “Grapes of Wrath.� More and more tiny communities will be faced with an influx of folk and how they deal with that influx will tax their tiny communities and their even tinier brains.

The American West is in the beginnings of a prolonged drought. That is a geologic fact. As cities like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Tucson, Salt Lake, and even Reno suck the ground literally bone-dry of water, more and more strain will be placed on the West’s infrastructures. There isn’t enough water as things stand at present. The one main source of water in the West, the Colorado River, is divided and sub-divided into an illusion of arid evaporation. There’s one basic and immutable law of the West- no water no life. Westerners are eventually going to have to flee to the east. Okay everybody, how does that sound?

next time- Part Five and go west young man to Ely! Now we’s havin’ a real adventure.

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