Domingo Soto: Because Freedom Isn't Dumb

THE ROAD TO HERE FROM THERE
"We need to take a picture of that," Carlos said, jolting me out of my interstate auto pilot daze. "Of what?" I didn't have a clue. "That trailer with the outdoor scene on it." I was still lost. The teenager pointed out the irony of the doublewide - right there in the midst of what looked like a moonscape that is the enormous Spanish Fort mall construction site. On its side was a glorious pastoral scene for the mall store that would soon be housed there. "Doesn't anyone see the contradiction?" he said. "They've destroyed that beautiful site to make an outdoors store." I was proud of him on several levels - for seeing it, for caring about it, for educating me - and we talked about the issue of development and progress and a little bit about the history of the area. I told him about THIS PIECE THAT I HAD WRITTEN for the Azalea City News & Review back in 1979 when they were building Jubilee Mall, how I would enjoy driving down the road into the country, especially the little untouched intersection near the Malbis Church where a Lowe's and a Sam's now stand.