It's easy to hate the government, but should you?

God designed us to be governed.

Alas, prepare yourself for unpopular sentiments.

It starts with a recent trip to California during one of their atmospheric river Pineapple Express rainstorm double whammies where I selfishly asked God to withhold the Big One for at least two weeks. It was a trip in which I traveled by airplane, tram, ferry, helicopter, car, and rollercoaster.

California trip journal. © Julie R Neidlinger. All rights reserved.

Travel always spurs on new ideas. Out of our comfort zone, our minds start churning, trying to categorize what’s happening around us.

For example, Slab City.

Located southeast of the Salton Sea, Slab City used to be a military facility that was removed (leaving only the slabs buildings were on, hence the name) and given back to the state. Its current state is very different from a mid-century military base.

Most people have seen photos of Salvation Mountain, which is right at the entrance to Slab City. The original creator has passed away and a new couple is trying to maintain it.

Salvation Mountain. All images © Julie R. Neidlinger. All rights reserved.

Driving past Salvation Mountain on the rough road, you’ll find the guard shack, remnants from the military base and smelling heavily of baked urine, and then the grand vista of what looks like a moderately organized landfill stretching ahead.

Slab City entrance and guard shack. © Julie R. Neidlinger. All rights reserved.

You may think it unkind to say such a thing about where people live, and it is. But it is not an inaccurate description. Granted, some structures were better cared for than others; it ran the whole gamut.

As we drove around the Slab City, seeing evidence of anarchists, atheists, religious folks of all kinds, pro-Trump tents, “come on in you’re welcome” and “stay out private property,” I got to thinking of the incongruency of having the roads (a very generous description) mapped out in Google, selling products to tourists (capitalism), and seeing house numbers painted on the sides of the trailers, tents, and shacks, all mixed with strong individualistic anti-government anti-organized anything signs.