Life's Autumn

The latest fad in our sleepy little seaport is golf carts. It’s THE thing to own. They’re actually licensed to operate on city streets. I suppose there are some regulations including flashing yellow warning lights. Each evening at dusk, those wanting to be seen and wanting to see others, whir around the ten or so square blocks of downtown carrying dogs, children, cocktails, or all three. Often children are operating theses motorized caskets paying no attention to stop signs or traffic. As soon as a three thousand pound hunk of steel mangles and maims, the fad will be over or restrictions so enforced that it will no longer be fashionable.

The whole situation reminds me that our government leaders, federal, state, and local, always wait until there is a crisis or tragedy to do what makes sense. Take this illegal immigration thing for instance. I lived on the border in El Paso in the early 70’s and it would have taken an idiot not of know that immigrants were crossing the Rio Grande by the hundreds each day seeking a better life (or perhaps a hand out) in the US of A. Now, in 2007 it’s a crisis. Thirty years, times three hundred sixty five days a year, times a minimum of one hundred border hoppers a day, equals over a million new people in the US. And that’s a reaaaalll conservative estimate. And we wonder why there are so many Spanish language radio stations?

I wonder if those guys up in the international house of space station can see the little flashing lights on the golf carts of St Marys? Maybe they think they're lightning bugs. (singing) "Glow little golf cart, glitter glitter". Damn, I starting to remind myself of Andy Rooney.