WHO are these people, and WHY are they here??

I've been in Marfa Texas for a few days. A friend and I recently dove into the deep end and bought a house out there. It's a fascinating place to me because all the pieces of the puzzle don't quite fit. It's a dusty little West Texas town but due to the influence of one man, Donald Judd, it has become a kind of art and architecture mecca. Judd was an artist and art critic who moved there in the 70s, drawn by the stark, simple beauty of the desert. He bought property and buildings to provide permanent placements for his art.

It is a town with heavy Hispanic influence and population, overlaid with wealthy, sophisticated art lovers from New York, LA, Dallas, Houston...and increasingly Austin. So you have traditional Hispanic culture, people from New York and parts yon who fly in for weekends, people who are trying to create economic basics like grocery stores, restaurants, and laundromats, and more and more musicians. Ya have the gallery owners and there are more than a few of them. The Austin contingent is definitely adding some "Make Marfa Weird" energy to the whole thing.

It isn't like there are hordes of people walking the streets, it's very quiet. My sister made the hilarious observation that the whole town must operate at a loss since you don't really see tons of people wandering around spending their money and filling the places of business. Who is supporting these businesses anyway?? But sit at the Brown Recluse, the local coffee house/hang out, or show up at one of the many visual and performing art events (how do they support these anyway?) and an amazing collection of people come out of the woodwork.

For example, last night Mingo Saldivar, The Dancing Cowboy, was playing with his band at Liberty Hall. His thang is the accordion on which he plays conjunto music accompanied by some pretty fancy footwork. It's a blast, I feel like I'm at a big Mexican wedding.....Huge crowd turns out (where were they all during the day?).

Who is the distinguished looking Asian guy who looks like I imagine I. M. Pei (and it really could be given Marfa's reputation, that's the totally WEIRD thing!) to look? He's all in black, very New York art circle, but, incongruously, he has a rope, looks like a piece of lariat, for a belt. Maybe that's his nod to being in Cowboyland. He is dancing wildly, and the very staid, middle aged, sophisticated ladies he is with are looking embarrassed since they clearly do NOT know what to do with his uninhibited movements.

Then, there is the Lady with Plum-Colored Hair who I have seen every time I have been there. I think of her as the "Where is Waldo" of Marfa because she's everywhere I am. Bizarre. But, tonight she is wearing a pair of cowboy boots that look like faux cheetah to me. I WANT THOSE BOOTS!!!! Briefly I consider luring her outside and mugging her in the alley to steal her boots, but she looks like a size 10, too big for me. Who is she?? The most I've found out so far is she had a gallery once, somehow has lots of money to spare and like to redo houses.

Then the sweet older Hispanic couple I saw at New Year's at the dance at the AmVet Hall, mostly an Hispanic affair. They are wonderful dancers and are clearly just as much in love as they were probably 40 years ago. He very politely asked me to dance at New Year's and made me look good, quite a feat considering I don't really dance.

Then, there was Tiny Man. He waited our table at breakfast and he is absolutely beautiful. He's about 5'1" or so, couldn't weigh more than 100 pounds. Dark haired, gold eyes, beautiful proportions, just a gorgeous man. I thought he looked like a mime. That was, until, we saw him move at the dance. Somehow, he didn't exactly move with feline grace as I expected. Might have been the large bottle of gin/vodka he was enjoying with the cowboys who were all about 3 times his body weight.

I can't make it fit, and being the snoop I am, it's all I can do not to walk up and ask them who they are and why are they HERE????? You know, it's a 7 hour drive from Austin and 3 hours from the nearest commercial airport so it isn't easily accessible and yet here they all are.

Why Marfa now in my life? It's that unusual life thing, it fits, it's the intersection of so many people I would never come in contact with otherwise. Hmmm.....where will it lead?