t’s not great here anymore but there’s lots of places that ae worse. The ‘burnt out’ area is downtown and it’s a mess. But since most of the business has moved out (and taken the jobs with them) we’re kinda marooned here.
he idea of just packing up and resettling in Texas or Wyoming seems like the answer to our troubles. Bad as it is herem we’re still “native” and in any of those “safe” places we’d be the refugees from Oregon. There was a time when people flocked here to enjoy the beauty and clean water and air. We still have Californians doing that but they bring money with which to buy land and build their “McMansions,” driving prices (and taxes) up on our land. As you might expect, they’re not welcomed with open arms anymore.
Besides, I sat here earlier, listening to the sirens, the fireworks and the occasional gunshot. I set up a watch position at a decent location and waited for my wife to get home, That shotgun let me know just how foolish I was to try to play games I hadn’t played in 55 years.
Moving across the country would be more of the same. I’m stuck here.
Every so often there is a news story where a family moved far away to get out of a bad city. Then they get hit by a bus or something. Just get out of Portland, you don’t have to go cross country.