What a state I’m in.

A Place To Live. 2018
Waiting for Water. 2018

 

Population Map

 

I feel like I have to say this anymore: Today’s writing is not political. Again, I mean it. It borders there. But mostly it starts out about population density.

You see, here is what happens when I write about current political events. My readership takes a nose-dive. I live in a mostly Republican County. And while I am a registered Republican, I have a looser view on things, than most. So, those who disagree with my perceptions, quit reading. Out of sight, out of mind. It is just a silly little blog after all. Silly to the readers, but to me it is a pretty big endeavor every day.

Nonetheless. That’s my bag of toil if I want to carry it.

So. On with the show.

It is all about where we live. Location. Location. Location.

In a recent article by the Washington Post, some crunchy data was reported by the Smarty-Numbers-Folks. (In fact, it was the Center for Public Service of the University of Virginia.). They analyzed Census Bureau population. They did projections to estimate each state’s likely population in 2040. Won’t you be my neighbor?

Here is the astounding thing they found.

Half of the U.S. Population will live in 8 states in the next 20 years. Half. Fifty Percent-o. If you are curious, those states are New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, Illinois, and California. And from that, the next 20 percent will linger in just a few states too. (AZ, CO, MA, MI, NJ, OH, VA, WA).

That means a whole lot of different things to a whole lot of different people. Longer grocery lines. Crowded beaches. Honking horns. No good reservations at restaurants. More Dunkin Donuts locales. BUT. Here is one thing that it means to all of us.

That 70% of the people will live in about 15 states.
That leaves 30% of the population, in the OTHER 35 states. (You can hear the crickets chirp in those other 35.)

But what that TRULY means: 30% of the population of the United States will be choosing 70 of our 100 Senators.

Yes. Think about it. The potentiality of this. The implications.

Just a little fun fact, that I thought I would shoot your way. This doesn’t seem like too good a plan to me. But not a lot happening with the United States seems too good at this point.

The Founding Fathers could not have foreseen a lot of events and trends that are happening now. I wish we would start waking up about this.

But enough about population, Founding Fathers, and the ramifications in the Legislative Branch of our government

How about some other snappy fact states, just to keep the ball rolling.
Would you like to lie down and have a chocolate bar? Go here.
According to America’s Health Rankings for 2018, the Unhealthiest States in the Union, are Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, and West Virginia.

Or, maybe you want that puppy, after all.
The Top 5 Pet-Owning States by percentage? Vermont (71% of the households!), New Mexico, South Dakota, Oregon, and Maine. The bottom of the Pet-List is Massachusetts (50% of the households.).

If all of this seems too much, maybe what you need is a little spoonful of magic. There are 182 places in the United States that have the word Christmas in their name. And they are all over the place. Finding a spot that is just right should be easy. There are jolly places like Christmas, Arizona, and Christmas Valley, Oregon, for even some water-bases like Christmas Island in Florida.

Ho. Ho. Ho.

You know, I inadvertently landed on that last fact. But maybe that is what all of us need to do right now. Not move to Christmas Island. No. But perhaps we need to keep that spirit of giving in our hearts. Every day. Maybe we need to do that “Thing” where we put more IN than we take OUT. All over the place.

I think, lately, people are forgetting to care about one another. We are losing sight of the fact that we are all in this together. We need to remember that the entire planet is connected. I think we have to start shifting our mindset, from “What’s in it for me?” … to …. “What can I do to make this place better? For everyone?”

Yep. No matter who we are. Or where we live.

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“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens

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“Speak the truth; do not become angered; and give when asked, even be it a little. By these three conditions, one goes to the presence of the gods.”
― Gautama Buddha

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“When you know that everything matters—that every move counts as much as any other—you will begin living a life of permanent purpose.”
― Andy Andrews

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