Spring 2014 5 19 Monday

59 degrees this morning.

Just returned from an 18 day trip to China, which is why suspended the journal.  I wanted to concentrate on the experience.  I will post my China Journal as a separate entry.  

China was a great experience.  I really enjoyed meeting the Chinese residents and seeing the Shanghai, XI'an, Bejing, Wangzhul and then Shanghai.  I attended a Conference in Wangzhul and a Study Tour in Bejing and the other cities were personal tours.  The Conference was truly International in the sense that there were persons from Russia, Australia, Denmark, Nigeria, Great Britain, Canada, and, of course, China and the United States.  It was unique cultural exchange, focusing on the urbanization problems of China and sustainable practices in cities.  

Re-entry into reality should be easier, since we currently have no reality.  I am trying to find the "right" job, and we are trying to sell our house so our options are limited by other circumstances.  

The experience in China really made me think about my future.  I know I will be more international in my thinking.  While I vaguely knew the urbanization problems of China (and other countries), I was unaware of all of the work that has been done in this area.  The major items about China I will remember (besides the wonderful people we met, and perhaps the wonderful food!) is the emphasis on enhancing residents lives by providing for parks, separate bicycle lanes, landscaped medians (and landscaped separations between the bicycle lanes and regular traffic).  The architecture is spectacular to say he least, especially in Shanghai and Beijing.  

Problems I saw were housing (waves upon waves of high rise apartments, it has to be seen to be believed) and the truly chaotic traffic. Somehow it works, but I don't see how!  Actually the rapid urbanization is a major challenge as well as an opportunity for China.  I understand housing costs may be a major problem for younger Chinese as the costs increase.  

I noticed a major difference in each City we visited.  Yangzhul (the "smallest" city) perhaps overwhelmed me with the number if bicycles and scooters (much more percentage wise than the other Cities, with XI'an in second place) and with fascistic facilities for bicycles and scooters.  The people of XI'an were wonderful, but then so were the people in Beijing and Shanghai.  

Meanwhile, I have planned the China trip since December, so a major event in my life is now over, other than planning how I can get back to visit again!  

I am going to emphasize my knowledge of "sustainable practices", I think that is a major opportunity for cities in the future.

Meanwhile, back to reality, whatever that is.  Right now, the only reality is change and potential change.  Selling the house, moving, job/business changes.  We love Lakeland, but for what it was, not what is it going to be now.  After the city turned down a much needed bicycle trail and decided all parks should be private, eliminated code enforcement, it is time to leave.  Eventually Lakeland will merely be like the county, without any reason to have a city, except perhaps to further the ambitions of the spoiled brat mayor and he spoils system of machine politics.  

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.