Virginia Slowly Dies
Well, today is the last day of Spring Break. I guess all things considered, it wasn't so bad. Though I did have to write that paper (which is waiting for editing), it was enjoyable to not have to go to class at all.
Today is a beautiful Virginia Sunday and Josh and I took a nice drive after church. There is this farm out near Orange County that we absolutely adore. So, we drove out to visit it and daydream about buying it. The sad thing is, it's for sale...by a raper of the land who is planning on selling off 12 acre parcels. I hate greedy developers who buy estates that are hundreds of years old, break them up, tear down the original gorgeous Virginia homes and build McMansions with no trees, two car garages and gaudy prefab windows. This old farm, called Castle Hill North, has beautiful weeping willows lining the driveway, and white old rail fencing along the whole property line. The house is old style red brick, with black shutters and splintered white wood accents. There is a small stable in the front, and a huge barn around the back. In addition, the property is settled among the mountains, providing a beautiful view of the Virginia countryside. Unfortunately, the view won't last long, since the acreage across the road is also being parceled off and sold by damn capitalist pigs who don't care about preserving the most beautiful places in our country. I really wish there was something I could do about it. But, I fear that my by the time I have grandchildren, there won't be too many beautiful places left in America. I guess it's a better use of the land to turn every last rural inch into generic suburbia, with modern developments and strip malls...why preserve the beautiful countryside in all of God's glory when there are Blockbusters and Applebees to be built?!?!
Even though it is sad, since we know it is fleeting, it's one of our favorite pastimes to drive through the country and discover unique places. Virginia is a great place for that sort of thing, since there is so much history here. I just hope that somehow, the beauty is preserved. Who wants road side markers that say "Originial Site of the ----Plantation." or "Former President once lived in beautiful countryside estate at this site, until it was razed and turned into a multi-million dollar hotel chain, complete with indoor shopping mall, waterpark, and movie theater."
It's a sad, greedy world in which we live.
4 comments:
I agree with you and I made a similar (although less sociologically savvy) point to K a few days ago when we were talking about Hispanics. The whole concept of that "race" throws things into a clearer light. A Hispanic might be a black Dominican Republican or a Mayan/Spanish Guatemalen, or an Italian Argentine. These folk would feel very little in common in their native countries, but because they share a language, they are connected here. I think race is just one of the ways in which we determine where we belong in this world. We're all going to struggle with that anyhow, so saying that "if they understood their racial background they'd be fine," is a simplistic way of looking at a person's identity, in my opinion.
oops. this goes with the previous point. apparently i can't even be technologically savvy today!
The man who owns the lovely orchard across the street from my parents' house probably won't live much longer. This is sad, not because he is a great human being whose loss will be deeply mourned, but because when he kicks the bucket his rotten son with whom he has been feuding for the past two decades inherits the orchard, cuts it down, and sells it for a new subdivision. The father hasn't been preserving the orchard out of respect for its boundless beauty but out of spite because he hates his son, but hey..."the enemy of my enemy [greedy landselling treekilling bastard] is my friend."
P.S. YAY! It's good to talk (write) to (at) you again!!
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