Going Back in Time
At times, I observe people and places and write descriptions of them. In an attempt to organize some of these writings (scribblings?), I have decided to share some of them. The following was written describing South Padre Island around 1970. The fast- growing Port of Brownsville could be seen in the distance, and there were few structures on the island. As I remember, there was only one hotel and a few restaurants on the bay side. Go back 45 years and use your imagination.
THE SISTERS
I visited Big Sister today. She is morose and gloomy on many occasions. Today was no exception. The air hung heavy around her. Fog and low, dark clouds gave her an aura of sultry dejection. Her tight embrace smelled of fumes and mustiness. Her arteries were clogged with their usual congestion. Four shipwrecks and nine construction sites were given as reasons for her sluggishness.
I looked at the serious, impatient faces of her children. She appeared larger and larger under the guise of providing for them. Yet, as they sat there squeezed together, they seemed locked in her clutches. If they try to move away from her bosom, she seeps after them sprawling out over the marshland away from her seat on the Gulf.
She gave me a brief smile as I was leaving. For a few minutes, the sun’s rays reflected off her glassy jeweled waves with a sparkling brilliance. Then, as if afraid that I might stay, she quickly pulled on her shade of gloom again.
I hurried back across the sand to Little Sister. She has always been more pleasant. Her clear, wholesome look and her friendliness have made her a favorite. She has proudly worn the crown of the Texas sisters. She has a charm about her that makes visitors want to stay and join her family.
Now I look at her glistening surface and see how she too is changing. Is she going to grow up and be like Big Sister? Does she know that big sisters are not always right?