Passing through the Wild West frontier outpost of Travel Town three months ago, we found it in a state of lawless chaos and disarray.
Old mayor CAA was stubbornly enforcing laws unfit for the challenges facing Travel Town. Sheriff Abta was busy trying to keep the peace but struggling to satisfy the town’s various factions. The airline ranch owners were ruthlessly protecting their estates with seemingly little regard for any legal obligations, and the saloon-owning tour operators were taking sides with anyone that gave them licence to stay open.
The travel agent townsfolk had occupied the moral high ground, demanding behaviour appropriate to better times, whatever the consequences.
Riding back into Travel Town today, what do we find?
Well, the atmosphere of chaos and disarray has at least been replaced with an air of calm resolution. The agent townsfolk now have a firmer handle on what they need to do to survive and have taken appropriate action. Nevertheless, a strong sense of uncertainty and foreboding prevails.
Mayor CAA has been hamstrung by the state governor, who has consistently exacerbated the challenges facing Travel Town via a combination of inaction and bizarre decisions. In fact, if one thing now unites Travel Town, it is a growing anger and frustration with the state governor and his cohorts.
The shiny badge of sheriff Abta has been battered and scuffed as his increasingly desperate attempts to get the mayor and governor to support Travel Town have fallen by the wayside. His trusted reputation is now in question, but he battles bravely on in the knowledge that he has a pivotal role to play in the town’s recovery.
Some of the ranch owners now demonstrate a willingness to meet their responsibilities, and in doing so relieve at least a little of the pressure on the saloon owners of Travel Town who, in the main, now walk a more righteous path.
Sadly, the saloon owners have already lost a good number of the bartenders who form such an important bond with the townsfolk. Repairing damaged relationships will no doubt be harder as a result.
And the townsfolk themselves? They remain disgruntled that their good names continue to be tarnished by the behaviour of others, but most of them recognise that to move forward goodwill must now prevail.
The whole community of Travel Town understands the consequences of a failed summer harvest. A long harsh winter lies ahead, and only by continuing to come together will the majority see spring when it arrives.
And spring may well herald the first new winds of change. Travel Town should soon expect the arrival of strangers with fresh ideas borne from the inadequacies of the status quo through these tough times.
So be wary of drifting back to a reliance on the old ways, Travel Town; the boom times will return, just don’t rely upon them being the same as the good old days.
