California Dreamin'

by Bonnie Donovan

From a Friend Traveling East

Traveling eastward across the vast expanses, one considers those that came…to our Golden State… how, why, what they brought, what they left behind. What they lost and encountered along the way… and what they would think of our “great state” if they saw it now.

According to the ultimate source for everything (accurate or not) – Google – the California Gold Rush lasted roughly between 1848 and 1855. During that time northern California received an influx of roughly 300,000 newcomers. Driven by the potential promise of fortune, they travelled westward. They came by wagon and horse. They left behind their homes, homesteads, extended relatives, and presumably every non-essential they possessed. Along the way they encountered weather, challenging terrain, drought, broken wagon wheels, and even hostile occupants. They gave birth, left their dead along the way.

All in search of a dream.

These settlers were, I am convinced, smarter and no doubt heartier than we are. They had to communicate effectively to navigate; they had to think on their feet and understand how to make do, how to “MacGyver” things along the way. And how to live off the land.

As we move through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, eastward along Highway 40 (once Route 66), we see the remnants and iconic signage of our parents’ generation who, in the 1950s & 60s made their way west in search of a dream. But now, against the backdrop of the vast expanses, the foreground is often comprised of litter and the same corporate outposts every 100+/-miles – Walmart Superstores, Arby’s, McDonald’s, etc.

California Dreaming

We talk a lot about dreams. The American Dream. Whether it is alive, dying, dead, or whether it can be revived.

What is the American Dream? I wonder about this as we drive…sometimes for miles…in silence.

In the end, and in its most basic terms, I imagine that the American Dream of which we speak is really about securing the same things that most people on Earth aspire to find: shelter, food, to feel safe and loved, to be with friends and family, to connect… to nature, God, universal oneness. And this last item is what still drives many to our beloved state. The beauty of our mountains with their alpine lakes, the vastness of our deserts, the expanse of our glimmering oceans, all offer this opportunity.

But among all this abundance, what we don’t have is… silence. This is where the American Dream, the Santa Barbara dream, and possibly the globalist’s dream falls apart.

Noise.

Acoustical.

Visual.

Never-ending Noise.

Everywhere.

Political noise. Advertising noise. Traffic noise. Horn honking (which most old “Barbarians” understand is an absolute no-no unless death is imminent). Loud talking – at restaurants, on bicycles between riders as they move through our neighborhoods and into our hills. Loud talking too by individuals speaking to phantoms into the wind on their cell phones. The project next door that has been going on for three years. The homeless person high on who-knows-what screaming obscenities at whoever glances in his direction. The constant buzz of phones, text messages, emails.

And litter.

Everywhere.

Barricades, K-Rails, and signage painted on our streets, mounted everywhere attempting to help us navigate this “new urban landscape.”

Finding a Little Peace Further East

As we drive further east and enter western Oklahoma and then Arkansas, the landscape changes. It is reminiscent of home. Rolling wheat-colored hills with scrub oak and chapparal. Cattle grazing around quiet ponds where water has found its low place. We watch the murmuration of starlings at dusk – expanding and contracting across the fading sky in perfect unison and silence like a well-directed orchestra.

There is a lesson in watching the starlings moving thru space, leaving no trace, somehow communicating the direction of the flock in silence. We reach the conclusion that there is hope for the American Dream. But we, as a United States of Americans, need to return to some fundamental and basic rules of engagement. We need to slow down, quiet down, bend down, pick up some rubbish, turn down the noise, listen, and engage one another, fight against the influx of drugs ravaging our people and those who are bringing them into our country.

If we can actually do this and resist the urge to buy into what we are being propagandized into thinking we want and need, there is hope – for our town, for our Golden State, and perhaps even the American Dream and our dream of what America can be again.

•••

Help in Fighting Builders Remedy

After enjoying lunch with a friend on Wednesday, I returned home to find an envelope waiting for me on my door.

The Envelope

Inside, I found a typed letter that prompted a series of important questions regarding the implications of the information contained within.

The Typed Letter

Now, it’s crucial to determine which City department should be informed about this information.

Have they been aware of the court ruling?

What steps is Monique Limon, our 21^st District State Senator, taking in safeguarding our interests? Additionally, I wonder where all our elected officials stand in safeguarding Santa Barbara, and what role our newly appointed/hired lobby firm will play in this effort. Together, we must find a way to protect our beloved city.

I want to express my gratitude to the gentleman who delivered this letter to me and to our City Administrator

There is So Much More

In any organization where employees choose to join a union – as seen in our city –supervisors are generally non-unionized. This structure is essential for safeguarding the interests of lower-level workers. However, recent approval from the City Council has changed the landscape, and now our supervisors are unionized as well. This shift raises questions about the effectiveness of unions in protecting workers when there are already sufficient laws in place.

To enhance efficiency and management within our departments, I propose that we consider hiring private companies, like the approach taken at Santa Barbara Municipal Golf Course. With the existing legal protections for employees, the necessity of unions becomes questionable. By exploring alternative management strategies, we can ensure that our workforce remains supported while also optimizing operational effectiveness.

Christmas Gift Idea

Sheila Lodge’s book:

“Santa Barbara, An Uncommonplace American Town.”

It is in stock at Chaucer’s.

Only two days left to buy your raffle tickets!