Today I had the great pleasure of driving on a highway courtesy of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The signs were all up, and there were those charming orange cones -- but no workers. Not very stimulating.
Anyways, as goes the broken heart -- I think I am in the heartland, and it seems to be broken.
It was clear that Cleveland was one a bustling, beautiful city. It is filled with beautiful buildings, and the city square boasts a Ritz-Carlton and a gorgeous cathedral. Around the area, however, there are boarded windows, and a gang squad was positioned right outside the Ritz.
I left that deserted city in hopes something more rural would be more to my liking. Lorain. A motel there was $25/night. I take my bed without bugs.
On to the next town-- Elyria. There I found a suite for $99 and the hotel manager who also serves as the front desk person and the maid I suspect, begged us to stay there.
A quick trip to the local Wal-Mart in Elyria revealed a poor-looking family attempting to return a pair of worn shoes to a rather unapologetic associate.
What does this all mean? A brief conversation with the manager/desk person at our hotel, Elizabeth, illuminated the reason for the widespread trouble: a factory specializing in refrigeration, moved to Mexico. This cost the area 2,000 jobs. Some are still unemployed. Other Ohioans will soon face unemployment as GM plants close.
Will this same struggle be found across the U.S.?
I adore your sense of humor and commentary. It was great to see you and I'm so happy and excited for this new stage in your life! Keep me up to date with your going ons!!! Hasta luego! Besitos!
ReplyDeleteP.S. The sense of humor part does not necessarily refer to this post. As this post is quite depressing.
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