I got myself all jazzed up to scribe something profound tonight and… Nothing. The fact is, being profound is more about right time, place, and mood than any deep level of intellect. This coming from someone who considers himself pretty damn smart, but doesn’t take himself serious enough to do anything epic with it. So, I just decided to slide open my iphone timer, put ten minutes on the clock and see what words fall out.
Tonight we spent the evening at one of Maricopa’s major annual events, the Stage Coach Days. We turned out around 6, two hours into the event. By then the lines were going strong for the handful of food vendors, but something seemed off. A brisk walk through Pacana park keyed me into what my ‘spider sense’ already figured out: Maricopa’s little event is suddenly little. I’m still processing this. Maybe the words will form in the following few paragraphs. It seems like my small town is undergoing a transformation of sorts. When we first moved here everyone came out for the events. We needed bussing to and from, because there was never close to enough room to park cars. Now it seems easier to get spots, to get on the rides, even to get food (30 minute wait times down to 15). This is because nobody is there. I was able to have several different conversations with people I know, because I could pick them out of a thin crowd. This never happened before.
Here is my theory #1: When there is no form of entertainment in a small town, people gravitate towards town events. Said events bristle with folks looking for a way to connect with the town in an intimate way. Now that we have this sweet multitainment area with food, a club, laser tag, movies, bowling, etc, the need to head for the big ole town event has passed.
Theory #2: The shifting landscape of the real estate market has turned Maricopa, AZ into a squatter town. I’m talking about a place where investors buy houses and rent them to college kids and the working poor who cannot afford the cost of these city-based events and would rather stay in their Giant Homes and take advantage of a lifestyle they could not have before now.
Both theories bear the familiar flaws of 10 minute thinking, but both may be elements of a larger truth. In a few weeks we’ll see if there is a major turnout for the halloween event. If not, I may have to revisit this theory and make one of those odd attempts at being profound.