Down in the Bayou

Despite the stigmas of not owning a car, walking affords a much more intimate relationship with the places I live.

In this first-person POV of downtown Alexandria, Louisiana, Mike marvels at some of the small towns and unexpected places that have made efforts at better connecting their communities with transit and other pedestrian-oriented measures.

Mike reflects on his personal experiences during the holiday season, reminiscing on his mother, a Taiwanese immigrant adapting to American life in Steubenville, Ohio. He praises Steubenville for accepting his mother and recognizing her strength.

Mike kicks back with his new friend Robert and throws an impromptu soiree to commemorate the final days of Crimson House Alexandria, as his eviction date draws ominously near…

Mike shares his thoughts on the declining state of American society, emphasizing the loss of humility and genuine understanding in online and real-life conversations.

Mike also expresses his deep concern for the political shift in his home state of Ohio, attributing it partly to demographic changes linked to the shale gas boom and an exodus of college-bound graduates away to coastal cities.

We are almost always our worst enemy. We tend to obsess over our imperfections and shortcomings, and we tend to overhype the accolades of others.

To those growing up in small towns or otherwise overshadowed places, know that even the most glamorous and affluent places in America are filled with people wanting to leave.

Mike explains his conservative political views, reframing it with the intent of restraining government and/or curbing societal excesses. He likens our persisting depletion of resources to the consumption of frozen beverages in that it occurs in abrupt stages, rather than a linear decrease in supply.

Lamenting on his unsatisfaction in his present work in Louisiana, Mike ponders on the next steps in his career and where that will prompt him to move next.

Mike provides a casual update from in front of Crimson House Alexandria.