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| Eleanor with her sign. She was inspired by someone she saw online. Her sign says, "This is not about politics, it's about basic human decency. --Michelle Obama" |
Living on our sailboat in another country, our lives are intertwined with people—both on land and aboard other boats—who live, sound, and think very differently than our family, friends, and peers back home. It’s perhaps the most stimulating aspect of being abroad. After years of living this way, the view back home changes as our personal perspectives evolve.
Funny thing is, the view is similar from here in Ajo. I mean that we are literally on the frontier, in the middle of nowhere, in a sea of desert on the perimeter of the continental U.S. We can pick up only one radio signal: 96.1, Tucson’s Real Classic Rock. Ajo feels a bit like a mirage, something unknown, unvisited, and untouched—for good and for bad—by the rest of the country. In many ways, being in Ajo feels like we’re no closer to home than Fiji.
Yet, the day after our new president took the oath of office, Ajo seemed connected to hundreds of other cities around the U.S. that marched to broadcast support for the things they fear might be marginalized by the new administration.
Eleanor and Frances we’re revved up to march and Windy is in San Francisco through the end of the month, so I took them down to our beautiful plaza so our three faces could join just over 200 others in a sign-waving walk through town.
It was a good time under clear skies, as the photos and video below make clear. Only one thing was peculiar.
Ajo has a pretty diverse populous, both racially and socio-economically. According to the U.S. Census, of a population of roughly 3,800 people, 1,500 are white, 1,500 are Latino, and 800 are American Indian. Yet Saturday’s march didn’t reflect the diversity of Ajo’s population. And I think my girls may have been the only kids present.
--MR
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| From the plaza, the marchers headed up the street towards our house. |
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| I'm with her. |
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| As an English major, I'm with her too. People can do illegal things, but they really can't be illegal. |
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| Yeah, partisanship isn't very helpful. |
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| That's what I tell my girls. |
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| Yep. |
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| Top-notch entertainment in the plaza for the Ajo marchers. |
Good for Eleanor and all the other good people of Ajo who took the time to participate in the Women's March. Initially 12,000 to 15,000 folks were expected to march in San Diego, but by the time it took place, SDPD estimated the crowd between 30,000 and 40,000. A good reaffirmation of human kindness and values after the results of the election. Good seeing all is well with the family and we continue to enjoy your blog.
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