In Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Tom Robbins poses the question about San Francisco, why, when mother nature keeps destroying your city do you insist on rebuilding it? I’ll tell you why. It’s because despite the earthquakes, San Francisco is prime real estate. It’s gorgeous, and prosperous.

But what about New Orleans? Mother nature sends the hurricanes. Cleanup and upkeep are a nightmare. It’s a swamp, but it’s still prime real estate, a port of entry, fecund with commerce.

With their Roman Catholic origins, these cities represent strength in suffering, power through martyrdom. It’s all about perseverence in the face of devastation.

Some of the most awesome stories are those of the Catholic saints, these wondrous people who suffer beheadings, crucifixion, burning at the stake, piercing by arrows. The saintly cities suffer earthquakes and floods, and like the saints, they are eternal.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 31st, 2007 at 10:30 pm and is filed under US and Canada, losing my religion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.