Finality?

...Or does old dog still have fight left in her?

Ugh. I've spent the past three hours trying to draft a 1.5 page letter. It's been so hard because it's been a subject so close to my heart. For the past four years, I've been diligently working to try and save Rollover Pass. It's a little fishing spot down by where I lived before Hurricane Ike. Nothing fancy. Heck, I didn't even go there that much in the later. But that one spot embodies Gilchrist to me. My grandparents originally went down there because of the fishing opportunities. When I was younger, we would take vacations down there. I remember going with the couple that would eventually become their neighbors and camping out at the Pass in their RV during the hot summer days. Or sometimes, we would wake up eeeeeearly in the morning, go fish, come back to the cabin at lunch when it was blistering hot, crank up the window AC, eat lunch, nap, and then head out in the evening for more fishing. All of this events led them to eventually buy a house in Gilchrist, along with two businesses and then they purchased even more houses down there.

After the hurricane, there was a push to close Rollover Pass. It seemed like Hurricane Ike had taken everything away from us and now the state was trying to close the one thing we had left. The one symbol of resistance to the hurricane. As I've stated, I've spent FOUR years fighting this. I've spoken before the House and the Senate on bills affecting Rollover Pass, I've written countless letter, spoken to even more reporters and journalists, I've been on the news. I don't even want to add up how many hors I've devoted to this cause. Last week, General Land Office Commissioner Jerry Patterson asked the Galveston County judge to enact eminent domain on the property. To take the property by force. It's amazing how one person can be so tunnel visioned to not see the big picture. I've read all the research, all the published articles and I truly believe that Rollover Pass should not be closed. I also believe that if the majority of the people would do their research as well instead of believing what's published in the media that they would feel the same way too.

Eminent domain just seems so final. Nothing ever seems to end well when those words are used. So it's taken me longer than normal to draft this letter. I feel like every word I use is important. I must convey in two pages or less, how important this spot is to me. I feel like it's MY WORDS on the line. If I don't say it right this time, there might not be another chance. I don't know if I'm fighting for the Pass, fighting for my grandparents, or fighting for my memories. Either way, this letter is gonna be the best it possibly can be. I'm gonna do all I can, so when the dust has settled, I will know I've done my part.