Okay, first of all, this IS a vent.
Yesterday, my daughter and I took a small road trip down to this little village about 30 minutes from Charlotte. They have a bead store/jewelry repair place I like to visit every now and again (probably equaling once a year). It's a nice little town to visit out in what used to be the country. Nice town square type place...an odd artist who does cool metalwork sculptures and then donates them around town, a potter who does great work. Now, I can see how this little town would be appealing for almost anyone. As I mentioned, we enjoy our trips down there...walking around town and getting some fresh, arty, small town air. There are antique/junk places selling all manner of old things, as well as a few galleries. A train runs along mainstreet every few hours. Well, on our trip down yesterday, I was just appalled by all of the megahouse developments that have gone up. We stopped at a little place by the park to get some ice cream and I read their weekly paper. Apparently this is one of the fastest growing areas in the state. The infrastructure has not been able to keep up with all of the people who want to 'enjoy country living'...and move out to the country.
The problem I guess with people moving out to these places where there is so much space...is that it destroys the space. The hills and trees and farms are disapearing faster than our ability to replace them (or at least get some nice country scenery slideshow going on our flatscreen media player). I had this same issue when I visited Smoky Mountain National Park over the last few years. People want to move to the country...but then they destroy the country by building strip malls, souviner shops, paint-ball and lazer tag arcades and theme parks. Because god knows while we are in the country, we need to be sedated and distracted by all forms of entertainment and shopping.
The megahouses we saw yesterday? What in God's name does a three person family need with a two story, five bedroom house? Could someone explain this to me because for the life of me....I just can't grasp our need for bigger everything at the expense of the planet.
B
Yesterday, my daughter and I took a small road trip down to this little village about 30 minutes from Charlotte. They have a bead store/jewelry repair place I like to visit every now and again (probably equaling once a year). It's a nice little town to visit out in what used to be the country. Nice town square type place...an odd artist who does cool metalwork sculptures and then donates them around town, a potter who does great work. Now, I can see how this little town would be appealing for almost anyone. As I mentioned, we enjoy our trips down there...walking around town and getting some fresh, arty, small town air. There are antique/junk places selling all manner of old things, as well as a few galleries. A train runs along mainstreet every few hours. Well, on our trip down yesterday, I was just appalled by all of the megahouse developments that have gone up. We stopped at a little place by the park to get some ice cream and I read their weekly paper. Apparently this is one of the fastest growing areas in the state. The infrastructure has not been able to keep up with all of the people who want to 'enjoy country living'...and move out to the country.
The problem I guess with people moving out to these places where there is so much space...is that it destroys the space. The hills and trees and farms are disapearing faster than our ability to replace them (or at least get some nice country scenery slideshow going on our flatscreen media player). I had this same issue when I visited Smoky Mountain National Park over the last few years. People want to move to the country...but then they destroy the country by building strip malls, souviner shops, paint-ball and lazer tag arcades and theme parks. Because god knows while we are in the country, we need to be sedated and distracted by all forms of entertainment and shopping.
The megahouses we saw yesterday? What in God's name does a three person family need with a two story, five bedroom house? Could someone explain this to me because for the life of me....I just can't grasp our need for bigger everything at the expense of the planet.
B