I’ve been writing, for years, about things I find interesting. A lot of the time, I write about Santa Fe things: politics, restaurants, politics. But those days are done. Especially the politics part. There isn’t anything good for me within the Santa Fe political world. Our current Mayor has killed Santa Fe for me (and for many Santa Feans.) The hometown I once loved more than I could express is a ghost and will never be the community it once was. While I am sad about this loss, there’s nothing I can do about it. Local politicians love their reflection more than our city and they’ll get theirs, one way or the other. If it weren’t for the Guitar Mestizo, I’d be one sad dude.

As for me, there is still a lot of good, strong, and beautiful around, especially within the six-string world. I’ve always dreamed of running a guitar shop like Colfax Guitars in Denver. And some day, I just might. But for now, I will put time and focus into my other blog: the Guitar Mestizo and see if I can’t make something of that site. My current blog does ok, although it’s a labor of love and hasn’t made a dime. Although I’ve always wanted to monetize jblea1016.com, there really hasn’t been an opportunity for it to produce revenue.

But maybe The Guitar Mestizo will start as a labor of love and morph into a cash cow. It will develop a following and lead to a brick and mortar shop where I can employ folks to work guitar magic. I’ll host events and performances and create something cool within my ghost town.

Santa Fe will never again be a place where the politically powerful value our ancient cultures and languages. It is dead. The Mayor and his cronies have seen to it that fentanyl and meth-fueled zombies run the parts of town that the rich avoid. But The Guitar Mestizo will become a place where light and love are the cornerstones of all activity. For me, there isn’t an object than exemplifies love and light more than a guitar.

For now, no more politics on my blog. Those local “leaders” who wedge their heads up Webber’s nether regions can have their wasteland. I will seek all that’s good and strong and beautiful and they aren’t it.