I CAN Still Hang Out With 20-Somethings

In my last post, I was trying to process the sudden realization that somewhere along the line these past few years, I seemed to have gotten old.  We had the Austin City Limits Music Festival here a few weeks back with about 70,000 20 and 30 somethings flocking to Zilker Park in the pouring rain, Twittering about and taking pictures of 100+ hot, up and coming bands.   

From feeling bad about not wanting to go a mere few years ago, this year, I simply didn’t ‘get’ the whole scene at all. I couldn't relate at all.  And it shocked me.  When did THAT happen?!? 

But I’m feeling better.  I still have a little of what it takes. 

For the last several years I’ve been making 7 hour drives to spend long weekends in the oddest, most intriguing town you can imagine.  Marfa, Texas is a tiny FAR west Texas town, 3 hours from Midland and 3 hours from El Paso.  But in the late 70s, the influential minimalist artist Donald Judd fell in love with it, moved from New York City and took up residence.  Since then, it has attracted lots of attention from modern art lovers from New York, LA, Dallas and Houston.  It’s been called a baby Santa Fe by some.  It’s a mix of true cowboys, a large Hispanic community, wealthy art patrons, modern architecture, high end art galleries, the Dollar General store, airstream trailers, and expensive restaurants mixed with the Dairy Queen. 

It’s VERY cool and I love that nothing fits the way you’d expect, the empty high desert plains, and the fact you never know who you’ll see. 

Lately Austin folks have been going out in greater numbers.  It’s added a unique Austin funkiness that includes lots of music.  So, when my younger sister asked me to go out and camp out with her for the weekend at a music/art festival called El Cosmico, I hesitated for just a moment before saying YES!