while traveling...

... passing through south Georgia where I spent my first seventeen years, I would like to report some interesting sights. A testimony to small agriculture-based communities everywhere, and a sad commentary on how so many rural communities seem to be dying. With no industry or manufacturing to supply employment, and profound lack of jobs in sufficient quantities to keep a younger generation close to their roots, the tax base slowly evaporates. A chicken or the egg conundrum: do the jobs or the workers come first?

Driving across I-10 that runs the length of north Florida and actually takes travelers from the Atlantic to the Pacific. I got off  the interstate and went through an even smaller town that had about two blocks of store fronts, facing a railroad track. There might have been three of the buildings occupied with retail businesses. I would guess the shop owners must own the brick buildings where they have their inventory, as I cannot imagine they do enough transactions from week to week to cover rent. The only things that seem to survive in so many little towns are laundro-mats and convenience stores that sell smokes, beer, lottery tickets with gas pumps out front. Sadly, many  of those: coin-op laundries and curb stores are so grubby and ratty you hesitate to enter the building.

I wanted to mail a letter, and made several turns to get to the drop box at the post office. The first turn lead me to a fully dressed, completely decked out Santa Claus standing in the street industriously waving at passers-by. I nearly circled the block to take a picture, but was pressed for time, so don't have proof to share. There, standing on the street, actually on the street, barely out of traffic, decked out in red suit with white trim, and fake beard: Santa! I waved heartily but kept moving.

And in an empty lot, in the block where the big two story brick post office (you can see the post building in the center of the photo with the white trim around the top) there sat:

propped up on four concrete blocks, windows down, apparently abandoned. Just parked, with the last driver walking away, to have it scavenged for parts, tires, anything of value. You can rest assured no one will be stealing it at this point: the driver could have left the keys in the ignition, as it is not going anywhere on metal rims. 

I stopped to speak to a friend, taking a brief break from driving and driving and driving. Asking about what is going on in that sad little burg. He reported that the city has yet to mail out bills for property taxes for the year. They have historically been due the 15th of December: which is precisely three weeks away from yesterday! The friend reported that the response he got from going to inquire at the city office: shrugging of the shoulders,with hands held open. The universal sign for "I have no idea."