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Last year, I had a half-day in a place that went through a similar transition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raton,_New_Mexico https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra

Last year, I had a half-day in a place that went through a similar transition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raton,_New_Mexico https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raton,_New_Mexico Made an impression on me. Wrote a poem about it on the train -- Raton Station It’s flat Flatness rolls for miles around Mountains in the distance Flatness approaching the peaks Scenic clouds dot the sky Looking perhaps painted on The place is rather idyllic Except for, well, you know Every store is having a sale Of the stores still open If you want to lease a building The local Radio Shack is also town landlord The people are friendly enough 7,000 of them are scraping by The waitress loves it here Despite saving money to move to Omaha We hitched a ride in the bed of the pickup To the stretch with restaurants and hotels still open I asked what had happened here? The coal mines shut down

forgetsusername 11y ago
Good stuff. For others interested in the subject, Frontline has a great documentary about growing up in Floyd Country, Kentucky, Country Boys: "Filmed over three years (1999-2002), "Country Boys" tracks the dramatic stories of Chris and Cody from ages 15 to 18. With the same intimate cinematic technique and sound design that distinguished "The Farmer's Wife," Sutherland's new film bears witness to the two boys' struggles to overcome the poverty and family dysfunction of their childhood in a quest for a brighter future. This film also offers unexpected insights into a forgotten corner of rural America that is at once isolated and connected, a landscape dotted with roughshod trailer homes and wired with DSL." http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/countryboys/view/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/countryboys/view/
fnordfnordfnord 11y ago
Ha, a good friend of mine moved his business to Raton about 15 years ago. The town we're both from is much smaller and as evidenced by his success there, less economically vibrant than even Raton.
sanderjd 11y ago
Nice poem, but I thought the part about it being flat was strange, since there's a mountain pass into Colorado just north of town, called Raton Pass. Maybe that was symbolism?
- GFK_of_xmaspast 11y ago
  If you're not familiar with Raton, go check it out on Google Street View. There's mountains in the distance, but not otherwise a whole lot of geography.
  - arethuza 11y ago
    I did have a look at Raton and surrounding roads on Street View earlier and actually thought it looked rather pleasant.

forgetsusername 11y ago

Good stuff. For others interested in the subject, Frontline has a great documentary about growing up in Floyd Country, Kentucky, Country Boys: "Filmed over three years (1999-2002), "Country Boys" tracks the dramatic stories of Chris and Cody from ages 15 to 18. With the same intimate cinematic technique and sound design that distinguished "The Farmer's Wife," Sutherland's new film bears witness to the two boys' struggles to overcome the poverty and family dysfunction of their childhood in a quest for a brighter future. This film also offers unexpected insights into a forgotten corner of rural America that is at once isolated and connected, a landscape dotted with roughshod trailer homes and wired with DSL." http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/countryboys/view/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/countryboys/view/

fnordfnordfnord 11y ago

Ha, a good friend of mine moved his business to Raton about 15 years ago. The town we're both from is much smaller and as evidenced by his success there, less economically vibrant than even Raton.

sanderjd 11y ago

Nice poem, but I thought the part about it being flat was strange, since there's a mountain pass into Colorado just north of town, called Raton Pass. Maybe that was symbolism?

GFK_of_xmaspast 11y ago
If you're not familiar with Raton, go check it out on Google Street View. There's mountains in the distance, but not otherwise a whole lot of geography.
- arethuza 11y ago
  I did have a look at Raton and surrounding roads on Street View earlier and actually thought it looked rather pleasant.