ADVENTURING FROM THE VA PARKING LOT

Camped in comfort here for 3 nights in the Phoenix VA parking lot. RVers are made welcome and given a place to park----incredibly convenient--no long drive home after a proceedure-(had a colonoscopy)-just roll me to my "home" a hundred yards away. Settled comfortably in, I consider how to amuse myself, anxious always to convince myself and my readers that anyplace is interesting.

I see this out my back window--investigate and learn that this is the infamous Indian School for which the street is named. All around it, pictures and posters explain the long history of misguided efforts to "civilize" and educate the natives. Finally they gave up, closed the school and tried ever more elaborate and futile schemes to assemilate a tribal society into an individualized one. To this day they have not succeeded.

During the day, my parking lot is full. I walk the halls and grounds looking for a "story" that might interest me and you. Saw lots of "VA Junkies"----veterans with an unhealthy attachment to the hospital---relying on it for meaning as well as healing. One doctor I interviewed said that many of his patients would come in every day if allowed----seeming to enjoy the attention of medical personnel.

Behind the Indian school is this lovely park. I stroll its every corner looking for my story.

Interesting and clever---but that's not it.

Bingo---there's my story---I feel it in my bones-----With the skill of long practice, I engage and pull it out of him. Name is Willy, recently came here from Detroit--tossed out of a homeless shelter because he inherited $7,000 after his mother's death. Acquaintences and exploiters shepherded him from motel to motel to restaurant and liquor store till he had spent it all IN A MERE 3 MONTHS. He hitched down here fleeing the cold weather--is trying to get into another shelter--meanwhile sleeps in the bushes. NOTICE TO ALL SENTIMENTALIST ON THE POLITICAL LEFT---GIVING MONEY TO SUCH AS THESE IS A FOOLS GAME. (Opra did the experiment--gave a homeless guy $20.000----He blew it quickly--no better off for his windfall) Willy is a social casualty. For complex reasons he cannot take care of himself. What is a society to do? STONEHEARTS ON THE RIGHT SAY LET HIM STARVE! Or they say: Let those who wish to rescue, rescue. The Left wing says we must all participate in the rescue--institutionalizing charity--- coercing contribution (tax money) from all. Count me slightly on the left--but with vigor--I want to phase social casualties gently off the planet by INEXPENSIVE rescue conditioned upon non reproduction guarantees. (sterilization) Soon, they and their bad genes and defective character will make their way to the boneyard of the unfit.

BUT WHAT ABOUT VETERANS? Ah, that's a slightly different story---they've EARNED some public care--so I went here to get that story. I managed to get a tour and an interview from its public relations officer. He showed me the whole place--squeaky clean, militarily efficient, fully serviced in every detail---AND BORING AS HELL! I was horrified---this is life without challenge and it is not worth living. My guide, whom I persuaded to sit down and get personal with me---said he would not allow himself to "go" this way--had plans for a more dignified exit. He also told me what this super care cost---$5,000 a month---mostly Az state taxpayer money. That's more than we can afford and only the sentimentalist among us are willing to tax the public this much. I know there is a more efficient way to honor our veterans. This wasteful system will surely crash.

My guide and explicator--an amazingly open, undefensive, public servant.

I have more to say about this but will save it for later. Perhaps an essay on the war between Sentimentalist and Stonehearts. Now I feel the urge to get out of Dodge and go to Dodge---city Kansas.