Will the old Taos soon be gone forever?

Dear Taos, When I first came here you amazed me, touched me deeply.

It was something in the light. I started to see things differently through the lens of this place. Quite by accident I learned of Taos and journeyed here, but when I arrived nothing had ever felt so real, like I had stepped into life out of a dream.

I wanted to feel this way all of the time so I stayed. I was very young then. Taos saved me from growing into a life that is not real. I have grown so used to this bubble. I have taken for granted the sanctity of Taos as something assured, imperturbable.

Now something is changing. When I leave home, the waves of scintillating light have grown fewer, have receded into pockets of space separated from each other. I don’t leave home often these days, so my hungry eyes notice this right away. The disconnected spaces are quickly being filled with other energies. Things have been shifting for a while and it feels like we are at or over a tipping point.

I know that many of us living here, including myself, are of a counterculture of Americans that were running away from what we considered a toxic society. We are grateful transplants to this space, incredibly fortunate to have made our niche here in the wake of artists who came before. The energies penetrating the community at this time are those we were running from. The dynamics we found no way to surmount in our lives previous to Taos, the America we dropped out of – they’ve arrived at our doorstep.

Some seek refuge from disaster, many have been eyeing this area for a while. There is a massive migration happening all across the country and when the dust settles, what will Taos look like? Do the residents here get any say in the matter? My introvert voice tells me to just accept, nothing lasts, it is inevitable. But there is another voice talking louder now and I like what it’s saying.

Other communities have addressed the issue of growth, implementing 1 percent or even 0 percent growth policies. Environmental resources for this area need to be seriously and honestly considered and shady developers pushed into the light. I have received two out-of-the-blue offers for a piece of land I own west of the gorge from West Coast real estate developers I’ve never heard of. Interested parties are obviously combing through our county property archives and getting our personal information. This is public and anyone has access. If they are making offers to me, they are also keeping track of those whose taxes are about to go into default status so they can land-snatch at tax auctions.

I do not have faith that such developers have only positive intentions for this community. They want what all capitalists want – to make a profit somehow.

There’s a lot going on to attract our attention right now, and it’s important stuff. Are we too distracted to notice what’s happening right under our noses? It feels like I’m watching an old friend die slowly. Will the Taos I remember soon be gone forever?