Some Thoughts For Whoever Comes After Me

by Travis Mateer

Don’t misinterpret the title of this post, I’m not planning some dramatic departure from my hyper-local calling to report on the happenings of Zoom Town, but I do have some new-found sympathy for what researcher, Whitney Webb, has experienced as the result of getting personally involved with someone she shouldn’t have.

Here’s an example of how Whitney Webb went public with some of the struggles she had been dealing with in private in order to get some agency back from a person trying to undermine her entire being, both personal and professional:

The man Webb got involved with has played, and IS PLAYING, awful games with her behind the scenes, doing things to find leverage for control, even using her own kid. People who lack things in their own lives can be very good at working their way into someone else’s, I’ve discovered.

It’s cool because really this is an opportunity for me to learn more about my own trauma and dysfunctional patterns, like why I tend to gravitate toward people who need serious help, help that they aren’t getting in the usual places, like church or conventional counseling. Thankfully, unlike some people, I haven’t repeated my pattern over and over again, so my goal is to keep two mistakes from becoming three.

Now that I’ve had the lowest moments of my life weaponized against me by someone who knows the court system (and the judge, apparently, who refused to recuse himself), here are some thoughts on the red flags I ignored so YOU, who ever comes next (and who might be dumb enough to try and expose corruption in your own backyard) don’t have to.

I’ll be using bullet points, as they seem to be very effective for a cold, calculated type of communication method. Here it goes!

  • People who isolate you from others are not healthy people, and should be avoided.
  • Traumatic experiences can provide short-term bonding opportunities, but these experiences will NOT create a strong foundation to build a healthy relationship on.
  • Be weary of people who form addictive relationships to trauma and crisis, like that female character in Fight Club.
  • Anything you say to someone with a legal background WILL be used against you in a court of law.
  • If they’re willing to act outside the law by secretly recording someone, then playing you that recording, then that extra-judicial behavior could be turned on YOU if you’re not careful.
  • Anyone who claims to have information that could impact your safety, but then refuses to tell you what that information is, has ulterior motives and is NOT acting in good faith.

After what I had to deal with today, I’m now anticipating civil claims coming about “creative license” over my podcast. If all of that sounds expensive, maybe that’s the point, but I plan on defending myself regardless of cost.

There is information I now have to think differently about regarding a certain case, the supposed risks I was experiencing last year, and the timing of when a damsel in distress switched from one suitor to a sad bastard (me) who was in the middle of his 25 year relationship with the mother of his kids falling apart.

While I think about all that, I have some VERY interesting updates and theories on a couple of subjects I’ve been covering that you won’t want to miss for tomorrow, so stay tuned. I don’t plan on covering THIS part of my Gonzo-styled journalistic endeavor anymore than I feel I have to.

For those who know the cost of what I’ve been dealing with, thank you. It’s kept me from being swallowed by the dark.

Onward!

The Sharks Are Eating Montana Bite By Bite

by Travis Mateer

Why not sell out to the sharks? Society is going to shit, so if you have a Montana gem, I guess now is the time to sell it, right?

Chico Hot Springs Resort has been sold for $33 million to a Maryland-based real estate investment trust, the company announced Thursday.

DiamondRock Hospitality Company purchased the 117-room Paradise Valley resort north of Yellowstone National Park and an adjacent ranch that sits on 595 acres. DiamondRock is described in the press release as a “self-advised” REIT. The company owns 36 hotels and resorts.

Chico had been owned by Colin Davis.

Congratulations, DiamondRock Hospitality Company! Maybe you can talk to Nick Checota’s new daddy, Live Nation, about throwing a BIG fucking concert to celebrate!

And who will be the artists to help the sharks celebrate? Here’s a better question: why bother with messy humans at all anymore when you can just conjure digital slaves to perform like mindless pixel-monkeys?

I ran into one of my favorite professors the other day, the poet Joanna Klink. She was just visiting, and not very pleased with the changing landscape of Missoula. I couldn’t agree more.

Here are a few lines from one of her books of poetry:

The other night I greeted some people on the street and the possibilities that slammed through me were far from dark, but it’s hard to keep the light burning, especially when some people seem so dedicated to see my light put out.

I’ll end this short/sad post with my own poem, but before I do, please consider supporting Travis’ Impact Fund (TIF), or hitting up the donation button at my about page. If a judge doesn’t see what’s going on later today, I’ll be facing some unexpected legal costs.

goodbye Chico Hot Springs
goodbye Holland Lake
I can't afford this buying war
and the time is getting late

goodbye undiscovered heart
goodbye quiet walks
to understand was not the plan
no key fits the lock

goodbye slant street memories
goodbye silly dreams
here's my brilliant takeaway:
nothing as it seems

goodbye old paralysis
goodbye dumb excuse
binding to these creatures 
will only leave you bruised