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• Alaska
  by Arletta

  When I was a child, I wrote in a book, which I recently rediscovered, these words: Alaska, Coke, KENI. They were written as if an equatio…

  When I was a child, I wrote in a book, which I recently rediscovered, these words: Alaska, Coke, KENI. They were written as if an equation, which, if you worked it, would add up to the sum of all that was important in life. Perhaps it was bordering on the pagan in some aspects, for I know that persons who saw these sort of writings in my childhood, those outside of the family, often wondered over my having not mentioned God. Yet, I wondered back, how it is that I mentioned Alaska and they did not know that God was, thusly, inherent in the equation. After all: one good look about the place, and you have to know Jehovah made her! Alaska is big, far bigger than any website you can quickly google will let on. They go on about “at least twice the size of Texas” or “somewhat over twice the size of Texas”. Hah! Funny how that only started being said, again, after Texans started being Presidents! There is an old joke that hits much closer to the truth: Q. If Alaska were cut into three equal parts, what would happen? / A: Texas would be the fourth largest State. I can’t remember anymore, why anyone would ask the first question, but it was not an Alaskan question; it was an aggressive, let’s get rid of Alaska and/or begin using it as a land fill for the rest of America question. Such was always the planned fate of Alaska, per the whim of America, ever since she “joined the Union”.. Even before that it was much the same. Strip her down of her natural resources, dump her back on the Russians; strip her of her natural resources, dump her on the Canadians; strip her of her natural resources and dump all over her. The fact that Alaska would not put it’s Natives in Reservations only made others more adamant. Even in the allegedly civilized 80’s, it was proposed that Alaska, that barren wilderness, be made into a nuclear dumping ground. Well, that would have been convenient, for some, since the Natives, who have their own television station, were already reporting about the illegal dumping of nuclear waste onto their lands. Wouldn’t have to ever explain that or try to make amends, if you finished off the rest of the State, eh? Strangely, it was Texas who stood up for Alaska the most. Well, strange in some respects, because Texas hates Alaska as a rival. Yet, Texas, if you study it’s history, went through much of the same sort of abuse from American government at large as Alaska has gone through. So, in more ways than one, despite the animosity , there is understanding and camaraderie. I remember, as a child, being forced out of our homes to stand single file along the road, as the American army passed by on maneuvers. This was considered to be legal, because the Army had to protect itself from someone who had been taking shots at the soldiers. So, since they didn’t know just who did it, and since no one was ‘fessing up or turning anyone else in, they were treating all as suspects.. Sounds reasonable, yes? Of course, the reason the shots were fired is that the soldiers were often out on maneuvers and when they were they would invade people’s yards, steal their food; they would drive by in their trucks and shoot our dogs; and they did shoot a boy in the stomach. It is not certain, to my understanding, if that was on purpose or just the way it happened, but, obviously, if the American Army had not been shooting at allegedly American citizens, this would not have occurred! Election time was always a time of turmoil. Yes, people would file out to vote, in the hopes that this year it would mean something. Bitterness fouled the air, though, because they knew, from prior experience, that the American President would be elected long before the votes of Alaskans were counted. When it’s four hours before the polls close, and you are standing in line to give your opinion on the matter, it is more than a little disheartening to be told that the polls throughout America are closed and this is who the President is. Then the condescension of politicians who say your voice is important, one man one vote, and all that other nonsense which are nothing but lies .. not a good time. We’d go to school and learn, as we came to say it “What it is we are delusional enough to believe that Alaska has, when really it doesn’t.” or “What new and exciting things they are going to deny the existence of today.” Oh, it didn’t happen every day, but most days: Alaska doesn’t have blueberries; Alaska doesnt’ have cranberries; Alaska doesn’t have currants; Alaska doesn’t have grizzly bears; Alaska doesn’t have salmon .. and if you tried to argue the point, it was “Oh, yes, well they may look like .. but they aren’t real… Those just don’t (grow, live, exist, come to) Alaska!” In my late teens or early 20’s, I also learned that we have no moose. and this wasn’t even something Americans said just to be annoying that way, this time. Scandinavian scientists studied the moose in Alaska, didn’t find any, and so concluded that moose do not exist in Alaska and all the pictures of them in people’s back yards, all the talk of hunting and eating them, the man who was kicked to death by one, etc. are hoaxes! In those sort of ways, growing up in Alaska was torture. Oppressoin was mainstream, idiocy abounded … Oh, but the delight of the air, with it’s myriad scents .. the stinging bite of the cold .. the ridiculous overdone size, scope, height, breadth, color, density of plaything with and of the land ….. Sometimes there is so much beauty in one spot that you can’t take it in, you have to focus on this bit or that, or be overwhelmed …. and in this beauty is utter proof of God. No one else could get away with that! If there was a Mother Nature, she would never so unequally balance the world as to allow the existence of such spots of irrevocably divine beauty amidst the more sedate rest of the world. No, but it’s proof that a paradise was expected, and is still possible, will be delivered. Is it the only proof? No. I’ve seem some very lovely proof being plowed over in 100 acre swathes on other continents, in pictures and videos, that is; but, it is proof. And, we were free.. yes, we had to argue and fight, yes things were hard and frustrating, but we were free. I never knew how free until I stayed in California for a time, in a “country” neighborhood, with Tommy Lee’s cousin living right down the road, and witnessed the awful oppression of “what would the neighbors think”. / which was even worse than when I was in Texas and had to worry about what the KKK might think. A feat, by the way, which I was notoriously unadept. Which was nothing, compared to “What are the police and scheming neighbors up to” of Arizona. We did odd things, such as speak our minds, listen to our music,, express emotion, wear clothes that we felt like. We walked in woods, alongside roads, we talked to people who wore different clothing and came from different backgrounds, mostly without fear; and our dogs were animals -not pedicured toys, dressed to fit our self image – but romping, playing, protecting animals who roamed and fended for themselves and came home happy. This is Alaska: from a more technical aspect. You may learn a lot about where things are from the maps. Probably it’s useful sort of stuff, if you are going to roam about and see things. / This is also Alaska, by perspective: Alaska is the only place i know that people will run around in shorts in the middle of winter. why one might ask,( i feel ) because many are happy there and are not focused on “cold” “NO whineres aloud” you run to the store in shorts, because all in all who you trying to impress? the ice? its about the people your friends and etc. and might i add, Alaskans are strong in every way. probably why most the plastic cant live there.* And THIS is Alaska, from a different perspective. A place so beautiful, that you don’t actually have to use filters and little digital tricks to see such a sight. All you have to do is walk out to the right bit, at the right time of night, and open your eyes! The dust, the same dust which is so painful for me to be near, gives Alaska sunrises and sunsets unrivaled. In fact, usually, the photos, far from enhancing their beauty as I’ve seen happen with pictures taken in other States, tend to detract from them. This is a sunset in Juneau Sorry if you were expecting more of a point. This is not a novel, or even a short story or article: it’s a character study!