Spring 2014 April 4 Friday

73 degrees this morning. Heavy rain, wind and lightning.  Didn't walk or bicycle, did go to ATC for stationary bike.

Somehow the phrase "Stranger in my own Land"  (I'm not sure where that is from-i just checked and it is originally from a book by Robert Heinlein in 1961 about a human (from earth) who is born on  Mars and who comes to earth as adult.  However, most of the entries refer to a wide variety of groups in our society who feel isolated from the mainstream for whatever reason.  

I saw "Stranger in my own Hometown", which may be more appropriate and I was amazed to find it is a song by Elvis Presley!  

Anyway, the way this thought all came up was I noticed a meeting I would normally and like to attend, and I realize I couldn't attend it (or a lot of meetings) primarily because it could be seen as disruptive, since I am now "invisible" as the former City Manager.  Or maybe the large pink elephant (figuratively speaking, of course) that no one "sees" or admits to seeing.

However, it was a good 12 years, so I can't really complain.  Also, it is nice that this is a metropolitan area, so I'm really not restricted just to persons, businesses etc. in the city, in fact this was basically true while I was City Manager, since Lakeland has a limited retail base.  

I am beginning to realize that "older" people are also becoming "Strangers in their own land" in a general way.  I hear many stories of older people who are simply not considered for jobs etc. due to age as they become "invisible" people.  I am lucky in my retirement benefits, but I suspect there will be some massive reactions when people with 401 (k)'s that are insufficient reach retirement age and realize not only don't they have sufficient retirement, they also can't get a job at many places because of their age.  

I recently read that the US population who consider themselves "middle class" are decreasing (it was fairly substantial, I don't recall how much it was).  With the recent supreme court decision giving more influence to people/companies with money, more and more people will be disengaged from society with probably negative results. 

I think the supreme court decision will have even more effect on small communities as developers ete.  "buy" favorable decisions.  I have seen myself what happens when "machine politics" came to Lakeland with the resulting "spoils system", and it will not be a pretty picture if this continues to increase at the local level.  

Of course, all extremes normally tend to self-correct and hopefully the extreme has been reached and the correction will start.

Friday again.  The days continue to speed by.  To where, I don't know

That's it for now.