Illustration by Chris Philpot
For Land’s Sake
Indianapolis resident Malia Storrer-Handlon (who vows that she’s merely a New Mexico resident-in-waiting) was reading the book Polaroid: The Complete Guide to Experimental Instant Photography, by Rhiannon Adam, when she spotted a poorly developed fact. The author stated that Polaroid creator Edwin Land had his a-ha moment about instant photography in Santa Fe, Mexico. While Mexico City does have a Santa Fe district, Land definitely had his big idea in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Storrer-Handlon says.
But It Is a Sovereign Nation
Betty Dubois, a retired educator in Pittsgrove, New Jersey, was standing in the checkout line at her grocery store when a woman behind her said, “You have a really nice tan.” DuBois replied, “Thank you—I was born that way. I’m a Navajo from Tohatchi, New Mexico.” “Oh,” the woman said, “did you have any problem crossing the border?” DuBois hesitated while thinking, Well, here’s another geography/history lesson coming up…
Then We Do Have Saguaros?
Jane Darland lives near Truth or Consequences, in the village of Monticello (where she and her husband make divine balsamic vinegar). Even before COVID-19, in-person shopping was a rarity for her, but she wasn’t ready for a recent surprise while looking into some items she found online. The company told her that, sorry, it had no retailers in our state, but it did in Arizona. Unfortunately, the map it provided showed our neighbor to the west consuming both New Mexico and Nevada. “Since when does Arizona stretch from California to Texas?” Darland asked.
HAVE A “MISSING” MOMENT?
Send it to fifty@nmmagazine.com, or Fifty, New Mexico Magazine, 495 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501. Include your name, hometown, and state. ¡Gracias!