Of all the places I've lived, my favorite two were Vermont and Los Angeles -- and for much the same reason: a live-and-let-live attitude. When retiring early to take care of my partner who had developed early-onset dementia, I wanted to return to California but was pulled toward Florida because we already owned a vacation home here, that's where so many friends and members of his family were going, and we both needed that support group around us to handle what I knew was coming.
So much has changed since then. My partner is gone, and a state that once was politically purple and attitudinally nonchalant became increasingly strident, angry, and vindictive as its population splintered and moved to increasingly extreme and vocal poles. Were it not for the network of friends down here, had I not spent several years designing and building my dream home, and were I a few years younger, I would seriously consider returning to California.
HOWEVER . . . I'm in Florida. I own a lot of Lucid stock, I love the product, and I want it to succeed. I'm sick of the regionalism that so blights more and more aspects of life these days. I'm sick of political signals and dogwhistles everywhere I turn. I'm sick of conversations and news stories about Bud Light and drag shows and immigrant invasions. I'm sick of political menus in restaurants. I'm sick of political signage on businesses and commercial vehicles. I'm sick of flags and yard signs. I'm sick of hearing what's wrong with California and New York and Chicago (all places I have lived and loved). I'm sick of business and product boycotts.
I know some posters doubt that much or any of this could manifest as hostility to Lucid. But I live here and know otherwise. I see the stridency, the anger, the unrelenting drive to conjure up new bogeymen from the most absurd and inconsequential of places or from thin air if need be . . . and I don't want Lucid to get enmeshed in this.
Stay away from regionalism. Don't claim a meaningless (and inaccurate) "California design" heritage. Don't stamp California geo coordinates on door sills. Don't slap California bears on fenders, wheel hubs, seat backs, and cockpit screens. It's . . . just . . . too . . . much.