It Was The Best Of Times...

Sorry for not keeping up the posting schedule, but I'm having one of those occasional "Why do I even live here?" periods. This usually happens when I meet up with friends that are in town visiting relatives, because they provide a telling perspective on just how hopelessly screwed our area, and the state as a whole, actually is. And every time it happens I move a little bit closer to finally giving up.

I wonder how many other people are going through the same thing? How many times do you have to have your friends tell you "There's nothing here, dude. Come to Austin!" before you finally give in and accept that it really is the best thing to do?

I desperately love a lot of things about our area, but how long can that balance out all the negatives?

Is sunrise in the Adirondacks really worth living downstream from a constant flow of sewage?

Is the fun and excitement of events like the Great American Irish Festival worth having to pay almost as much in property taxes as I pay for a mortgage?

Does being close to my extended family make up for idiocy like the Hotel Utica? Idiocy that's been going on for years? Decades, if you consider it's just the latest chapter in the whole sorry "Charlestown/Boston Store/How can we get them to pay for it this time" saga.

Why do I insist on living someplace that claims a third of my income just for the pleasure of being here?

How many times a day do people just like me ask themselves if it's still worth living here?

And how often do they come to the sad realization that the answer is "No"?