Wood Smoke Stories

Despair in Texas

I left my home of years because the small rural city decided to do away with extra trash haul off in favor of instituting a burning policy and at the same time someone bought a house with a fireplace nearby and started using it constantly. So we moved to a bigger city in hopes of more regulation. We gave up a lot and sacrificed our financial well-being to buy the new house.

The first year wasn’t so bad, but then a couple different people bought houses with fireplaces and here I am again. You can not 100% seal a house. There’s zero chance I can afford to move again. I’m totally disabled with debilitating autoimmune disease. I have used what little strength I have to try to plastic windows and weatherproof everything, but it still gets in. I can’t breathe and my lungs hurt so bad. My immune system is attacking them along with the smoke. There’s no way out and even though I’m not depressed otherwise I can’t help but think there’s only one way to escape the constant sickness and anxiety this is imposing on me. I’m not saying that’s my plan, but it’s not off the table at this point.

I’m out of energy and nobody is willing or able to fight for me. Even if I could move there is nowhere in Texas that doesn’t allow this and any place that does have rules in place I can’t afford to even rent a one bedroom apartment even if I wanted to give up my house.

I’m tired of being imprisoned by others’ perceived rights. I live in Libertarian hell and the local government has already told me it’s a me problem. I can’t see this ever getting better in my lifetime.