Seaside Dystopia
30/03/08 11:40
Mark's friend Josh grew up in the these parts of Florida only to become harshly critical of his own country. He tagged along on our trip, and gave us an insider's view of how areas like Seaside can generate anger and frustration in young Americans like himself. Attending a neon-lit bubble-gum concert by a couple of famous YouTube guitarists, and hanging out at a soulless bar packed with rich kids on spring break, he told us how growing up in Panama City had felt like being under constant attack by his surroundings. "I don't have anything in common with these people," he said, almost spitefully lighting up another cigarette.
Thinking back on the poverty we saw in downtown Atlanta and going through rural Georgia, it was incredible to the point of nausea to see such a stupefying display of riches. It felt like going directly from one extreme kind of desperation to another - and neither of them came across as being particulary fulfilling. Driving around with a couple of left-wing political activists in the car probably did not ligthen up things a whole lot, but still we are sure that our evening of fun would have ended just as quick if we had been on our own.
Right this moment, we are sitting at the Trigo coffee shop enjoying truly European café lattes and croissants - the best we have had of both so far. Soon we will be back out on the road, heading towards Pensecola in the northwesternmost part of Florida. Once there, Mark will set up a meeting with a lawyer from the American Civil Liberties Union for us. Anyway, we need to kick back in a hotel for a few days to express our impress, and get our next portrait over and done with. So stay tuned to learn more about the life and nature of Mark Burch, the Godfather of Gay.
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