Make American Graffiti Again - 2024 Edition

When we first moved out to the Inland Empire to further our journalism careers, the general consensus for most of us from Orange County, we were heading out to the sticks. Fontucky. Rialtohoma. 

We have since lived out here for more than half our lives at this point - more out here than behind the Orange Curtain. We've seen the region grow. Become more and more like Orange County, with more and more housing, more shopping, and more of everything.

But every once in a while, something happens to slap you in the face to remind you of the region's past - and some of those who live here that were part of those early judgments of the region. The IE can grow, but it doesn't mean it's completely grown up and left the Tucky part of Fontucky behind.

Every day after I drop our son off at school, I head away from the school toward the freeway to get me to work.You cross a heavily traveled railroad crossing (lots of freight trains), past a recycling yard, and heavy machinery rental businesses, along with logistics and trucking companies. The street Ts at what is basically a freeway frontage road that doesn't have much to speak of.

When you reach the T, there is a hill across the freeway, where at the bottom of it is a now-closed roadhouse restaurant/bar called the Stop Inn. At the top of the hill is a condemned structure that has been overrun with graffiti. But for a long time, there was a big sign supporting Donald Trump. 

It's been gone now for a couple of years. But given the upcoming election, I was almost dreading the return of pro-Trump propaganda up there. Not because I think that someone shouldn't have the right to speak their mind, but because, well, the building is already an eyesore, and having that would just make it more so.

But it didn't show up on that building. It showed up on the billboard that is part of that property. In handwritten black paint. And it wasn't just a pro-Trump message - it was an attack on everyone else.

That first message showed up on a Thursday morning. And it left me a little shook. Because, why? Why make it "personal" like that? The thing is, you know that the person who did that was really proud of himself. "I'll show them."

When I headed off to work Friday morning, the billboard had changed. 

I can only imagine that the person who made this change said, "I fixed your sign for you."

(For the record, we drove by on the freeway Saturday, and dude number one had been back up there and added back the 2024, and changed his attack to "antifa," because that's soooo much better.)

So, yes, no matter how much the Inland Empire has change, it's still kinda the same. There's still people out here who's best idea of a comeback is just to insult you rather than actually have a conversation.

MORE FORMER PRESIDENT: The freeway trip was out to Moreno Valley to take care of an issue with my new glasses (in that I ordered them in May, and they still weren't completed in August).

Anyway, we got parked and were greeted by a car parked in a space for the disabled that was decorated with stickers and flags supporting the convicted felon former president. One of the stickers ready "Trump Won." *eyeroll* Time to move on, people.

We finished our business and returned to our car, and the owner of that car was at his car.

Now, I want you to close your eyes and get the image in your mind of what someone parked in a disabled space, lives in the Inland Empire, and supports Trump might look like. And you would probably be right.

 

 

OK, so dude didn't have a bottle in his hand and was generally better dressed. But, man, when we saw the car, I know we each had a vision of what the person driving that car looked like, and the stereotype we each envisioned turned out to be pretty damn close.  

 

So, yeah, the Inland Empire has grown up and mostly become a purple region - but there are still holdouts that are going to be loud and proud about loving the freedom they get from living out in what was once considered the "sticks" of Southern California.

 

The only problem is that the "sticks" are getting smaller and smaller as developers come in to try and carve out every piece of property they can for warehouses and more homes that less and less of the people who currently live out here can afford. And no matter what candidate you support, getting that to change is going to be a heavy lift. 

 

ONE LAST THING: We have a podcast! Just a pair of Gen Xers sitting around talking and reminiscing about the crazy things we went through and dealt with. Come over and check it out when you can.
 

Check out Just Another Gen X Podcast on Spotify:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/justanothergenxpodcast