Three Things That Are Just "A Little Too Much" in Today's America
A Sequel of Sorts to a Previous Post
Six months ago I did a podcast on Overhype and Exaggeration. It’s Episode 3 of It’s a Frank-ly Hairy Podcast. I talked about how we seem to make many things much larger and more important than they really are in America. But maybe that’s simply a human behavior trait in many places across the globe.
This hyperbole can lead to more extreme views when placed on a spectrum, and more black vs. white or “binary” thinking at the expense of nuance, context, and some other things that often make life’s subjects and life itself more interesting.
This article is tangentially related to that episode, and you might call it a sequel, but with more practical, observable, first-hand experience on things that are just “a little too much.”
Like usual, I will limit it to three topics for time and space. How else would I do it?
Too Much Road Construction
When I was a naive kid, I thought that roads and bridges were the most durable structures ever made as long as they weren’t insulted by extreme weather, or if a big semi truck or cargo ship came along and crashed in to them. That bridge in Baltimore a few months ago is a perfect example. I believed roads and bridges lasted forever.
I also thought it was unlikely they would become obsolete, but living in a state that is constantly growing and becoming more congested at every turn makes the roads and related structures too small, or at the very least needing a repave every so often.
And some of these structures really are under constant construction. It’s as if they were only worked on the other day, then construction ended, but now the same structures needs more work.
Don’t get me wrong. I am grateful to have functional government that is trying to stay ahead of the curve on this, and by doing so, keeps life moving literally.
My concern is there are so many projects going all at the same time in a particular area that it can be difficult to find a timely and safe detour to get where you’re going.
Until a year and a half ago, I commuted from home to work and back as a prison dentist. It was 23-25 miles each way from my small hometown in Canyon, TX to nearby larger Amarillo.
Amarillo is medium-sized as cities go, but growing like most other places in Texas. The town probably needs the road and bridge upgrades, but there are so many projects that I have to wonder. Construction was everywhere on my commute and it’s everywhere now.
What was frustrating is that there was constantly something new being worked on and I didn’t always know about it until I came upon construction zone. The local news reports on new projects religiously every Sunday evening, but occasionally some information gets left out.
For me it was not just about timeliness of the commute, but also safety—my own, that of the workers, and the other commuters. A driving peeve of mine is that most people do not slow down in construction zones, especially on freeways. I don’t have the mind for such nonsense especially at the end of another hard day in healthcare.
I’m not an expert on this, of course, but some of the lay folk wonder if it would be better (and possibly faster) to focus all resources on one project and get it finished before moving on to the next one.
Since I left that job, Canyon now appears to have more construction projects than ideal. Widening Interstate 27 from the Amarillo Loop to Canyon will take some years. Repaving has just begun on our two major city streets after they re-did some curbs and sidewalks. The highway to Hereford was recently re-paved, but one of the lanes has not re-opened near Canyon due to some surprise shoulder work.
Road construction is just a little too much if you ask me.
Too Much Safety Culture Involved with Football Weather
I plan this weekend to attend the Baylor vs. Texas Tech (Homecoming) football game in Lubbock.
The early weather forecasts indicate a promising chance at widespread showers and possibly scattered thunderstorms throughout the day and in to the evening. It remains to be seen exactly how much of a washout it could be because, well, this is still bone dry Lubbock.
Interesting because Tech hasn’t had a really big rainy home game in some time. A few of my most memorable football watching experiences were in steady, light to moderate rain.
But I have common sense and do not advocate for play in severe weather. Thus I don’t recommend doing anything stupid or unsafe.
In recent years, however, the decision to stop play has become a little over the top in regard to when to stop and when to resume. There can be a lot of time lapsed between the two decisions and college football games, you know, are already a little long.
The most common sign for stopping is lightning in the area within a certain distance. It’s usually not tornadoes or hail or fog. So having to stop a football game, which can be played in most kinds of weather, is now akin to how the local swimming pool closes for weather. And the storm cannot just pass locally, the lightning must pass from view which takes even longer. Then the players have to warm up again and that needs even more time.
I believe this happens due to the ever-greater safety culture that exists in America. That culture may be due to lawsuits or insurance, but it also could be due to the recent feminization of many things we hold dear, including men’s sports.
As is my custom, let me give an contrasting example from the past when things were not so restrained.
The annual Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma has just been played this season. Back in 1984, the two schools had an infamous, controversy-laden contest played all afternoon in a driving rain. It got so dark at times there must have been some lightning and thunder in the area. But the game never stopped and went on to completion. It ended in a 15-15 tie (no college overtime back then), with both sets of fans angry at the officiating and both thinking they should have won.
I’m not sure where the line for stoppage was back then, but I am certain it was different and more reasonable then now. Forty years ago was a much freer and more carefree time. We men like to take more risks after all. I demand that you let us.
Safety culture is just a little too much if you ask me.
Too Much Politics
This goes without saying in an election year.
I actually shake my head to think we are subjected to so much information, usually biased one way or another, with every Presidential Election over a ludicrously long 15-16 month span every cycle. And then hopefully it all ends on Election Night, the way that it used to. Enough is enough after all. It has to end some time.
It is usually exaggeration to say “This is the most important election in our lifetime” or “We may not have another election if Candidate X wins.”
Historically things in America did not change that much when one candidate or another got in to the Oval Office. But I am not so sure in these last four years.
Many things were done with Executive Order and without Congressional approval. Seems like Congress has been comatose or moribund as one of our checks and balances. I assume their approval rating is even lower as a result.
Anyway, Kamala Harris is part of the current administration and so I would expect more of the same if she is elected, even if she is not clear in voicing those positions. I just don’t think we can afford her on many levels.
I can’t stand the “word salad” rhetoric she gives. I don’t want a president who can blend in on “The View” or “Oprah,” back when Oprah was still doing her popular TV show.
Like him or not, vote Trump instead. I know what I am getting. He was already president once before.
Certainly he is much closer to my values too. Not a perfect candidate (I am not running after all), but much more aligned to what I believe. Even though I support him, I have a different set of concerns about the all the hype against him.
Will he be able to effectively govern with all his crazy opposition? Such opposition was the norm in his first term. And if so, by law he can only serve one more term. So what happens after the second term? Who will then emerge to lead us? We have to get on a more positive trajectory in America, and in my humble opinion, that is not something to be directed by the progressive left.
We need to have more “big-picture thinking” once again. That’s what I’m getting at.
If you are still following that’s where our culture, ethics, and values come in. The cliche, repeated much recently, is that “politics is downstream of culture.”
But it’s true. If you want to make things better for longer, lasting change it has to be promoted at part of society’s general culture. Otherwise we are kind of just going through the motions on electing people, and politicians are not saviors for anyone or anything.
Politics is just a little too much if you ask me.
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Great discussion!