My personal "what if" about a choice I made 50 years ago.

[elocs]

In 1975, the year I graduated from college, I had seriously thought about emigrating to Australia because they were offering to refund the passage for college grads if they moved there and stayed 5 years because they were still suffering from the loss of so many troops in WWII. It was intriguing because I had always loved Australia, but after all I lived in America and we had just gotten through Watergate with Democrats and Republicans working together for the sake of the country. I had sat through hours of testimony running the radio board on the college's NPR station thinking to myself, "Nothing will ever come of this", but it did and I think I had more faith in my country.

Then decades later, Trump happened to America and I can't but help thinking now that maybe I should have gone to Australia those 50 years ago, being the guy with an accent and living in a country of hope and having a future.

What if...

[A HERETIC I AM]

1. You would have gone over a year after I got back.

My dad was stationed in Alice Springs and we came back in 1974. He actual had about 4 months left in his tour and I BEGGED to stay with him, but he said no.

I looked into moving to New Zealand in 2016 when Trumpy won. I was not eligible because I am too old and the occupation I do was not in high enough demand. If I was an architect with earthquake mitigation expertise, I’d be gone already.

If I hit the Powerball, I would be gone so fast I’d leave skid marks

[WhiteTara]

2. It's not to late to leave

[elocs]

3. Alas, it it too late for me to leave.

Although I am in good health I am 72 years old, retired and poor, surviving on a small Social Security check that I'm worried about losing at which point I would be homeless.

[XanaDUer2]

4. Hug