Heading south on I-19 we got off at the exit for Tubac, a tiny artists hamlet just off the freeway about fifteen miles north of the border. It was our first time there for both of us. I hadn't even heard of it before J read about it and made it the centerpiece of my birthday road trip this year.
It reminded me of a tiny Santa Fe, much more rustic and accessible than Sedona, for example, with no grand hotels or chain restaurants, just a narrow grid of small boutiques. Historically it was the location of the first Spanish fort in the area, as the Spanish came up from the south when they first came to modern day Arizona. We visited the presidio museum of town, run by the state historical society. The museum was delightful, including the introductory video, which had been made several decades ago by the state historical society, before the days of Wokeness. So there was nothing about how America and colonialism was awful and racist. Instead it was refreshingly informative.
We were the only people in the main building. Tours were suspended because of the extended shutdown. We were given laminated brochures that would guide us around the grounds. The friendly woman behind the counter told us we could take off masks when touring the grounds, even indoors in the other buildings, if no one was there who objected.
The rest of the museum was like the video---informative in the old way, paying homage to the past without lecturing. I hope they never renovate or change that museum. I have a special affection for folks who tend this little museums in small towns. The older I get, the more significant it seems to me to take care of the past, and what remains of it.
That actually includes me. Mostly I feel like my utility in the years remaining in my life will be a living witness to a past that no longer exists, a civilization that was behind destroyed almost from the moment I was born. Looking back at my life, I think I understood this from my earliest days of childhood, which is why I was both fascinated by the past, and yet excited about every new thing that came along, and so future oriented. I knew I was different than my grandparents and wanted to embrace every new thing, as a new creature of the new world that had begun.
That future-oriented part, at least for earthly things, has mostly faded away, with most of my days no doubt behind me (I have no desire to live to twice my current age).
And I feel in league with all those who understand this too, including the woman at the state museum in Tubac.
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