The New Etiquette

Email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, My Space, Blogs, Hot Spots, WiFi. I'm not telling any of you something you don't know already. There are lots of ways to communicate.  Not only are we communicating with new technology, we are also communicating in a more or less casual way with, I believe, more people, in some cases with people we hardly know. Yes, lots has changed. Recently though I encountered something that presents a question that I would have never had if I were still communicating by postal letters or by phone.

As a Facebook member I have gathered a list of friends with whom I periodically share information. Some of my facebook friends are family, some are co workers, associates, neighbors or fellow artists. As a "Facebooker" I have developed various levels of contact with my various "friends". Some I have frequent Facebook contact with, and some I only occasionally read and pay attention to what is happening in their daily lives.

One of my earliest "friends" at Facebook was someone who was not very active, but he was a person who in "real" life was someone I respected and admired. As a business associate he was someone with whom I had always felt like I could be honest with and I always felt like he was being honest with me. In short we had a warm, but not close business relationship. I genuinely liked the guy. Last week, while he was on "Spring Break" with his family he was drowned at a Florida beach while trying to assist others who had been caught by a dangerous rip-tide. A true tragedy.

This brings me to the etiquette question. Every day when I sign on to Facebook, there is his picture on my friends list, I can click on his picture and go to his wall and see the posts that were there. No one has removed his profile and maybe no one ever will. So what is the proper action? perhaps doing nothing is the proper action. Would it be right to post something on his wall? I mean the guy died a heroic death, trying to save others...it would seem proper to acknowledge that on his wall? Continuing to see his picture on my list of friends is, I guess, a good reminder that I could do worse than emulating his qualities.

Seeking the Grand View

There are little gems all around us, but in order to see them we have to stop looking for the Grand Scenic Prize Winner. The truth of the matter is that the Grand Scenic Prize winner has already been found and photographed by more people than you can count....but most of them missed the little gems. I suppose this is a lot like life. We spend our lives looking for the "big payoff" while all along the way we step over and ignore the little gems.

I was reminded of this a while back as I walked along a sandy arroyo in the desert behind my son's house. In the distance the Santa Rita Mountains rise up from the desert floor, shades of dark green, blue and purple except that single out of place white spot, where trailings from a mining operation have stained the mountain side. Behind me the hills rise up to meet the Rincon range which blocks the growth of Tucson toward the east. Between clumps of palo verde and mesquite I can frame portions of the view but the light is harsh and flat. Discouraged I give up on the idea of finding a scene that will be suitable for a photograph. I look down at the gravel bed to see if I can spot any interesting stones to return to my daughter-in-law for her rock garden.

Actually looking down is not a bad idea in a place where rattlesnakes often sunbathe, but again....that sort of "looking" and worrying can also cause you to miss the little gems.

There it was, right at my feet. A tiny lupine was blooming. A little sky blue gem that is here today but will probably be gone tomorrow. It is then that I notice the stones and gravel....green, blue, black, white, gray, brown, and red...more shapes than I can count. Most of the stones are smooth but there are many different kinds of stone represented. I am no geologist but I imagine that a geologist could tell me much about the history of our planet just by looking at the gravel bed of that arroyo. I began looking for a photo of less grand scale, while remembering that the subjects themselves. would be no less grand nor less important to the make up of this place we call the Sonoran Desert.

What this Country Needs....

Fellow Hoosier and Vice President, Thomas R. Marshall once said "What this country needs is a good five cent cigar!" Today I'll add to the list of what this country needs. One of the things this country needs today is for everyone to just slow down.

It could fairly be said that we should be spending lots of money improving and even expanding The Interstate Highway System proposed and begun during the Eisenhower administration. It's a great system, probably one of the most complete national highway systems in the world but as travelers what we should be doing is getting off the interstate and taking a real look at our country. At the end of March I had the pleasure of driving a portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway. Following the original route of one of the oldest roads in our heartland "the trace" gives the traveler everything that the Interstate lacks. It not only allows the traveler to slow down....but it invites an unhurried close up look at a small slice of Americana.

One of the worst things many states have done with their Interstate Highway system is to plant rows and rows of pine trees for miles and miles on both sides of the interstate. Those trees are now full grown and one has the feeling of careening along a pine-green tube as you drive. Mile 1 looks exactly like mile 100....the view is exactly the same....green on both sides, reaching 30 or more feet up, 4 lanes reaching into the distance and sky above. One would think that vast stretches of Mississippi are vacant empty pine wildernesses, except that once in a while there is a tiny gap between trees and you can see that there really is life beyond those rows of pines. Is Mississippi protecting residents from highway noise and exhaust or hiding something from those traveling the Interstate? Hard to tell, my view was blocked.

The Natchez Trace Parkway is another story. We were treated to beautiful Spring views around each gentle bend in the road. The road is a well maintained, wide two lane road. The only shortcoming I noticed was that there was, in most places, a lack of a wide side berm or pull outs, however it appeared most people just slow down and drive out into the grass if they want to explore a view or take a picture. There are dozens of "attractions" along the parkway. Historic markers, special views, historic structures, or natural features that each invite the traveler to slow down.

One feature the parkway has in common with its' big brother interstate is that it is a "limited access" road and a traveler on the parkway can make surprisingly good time simply because there is no competition with "local" traffic. No stop signs or signals (at least on the section we traveled). A traveler on the parkway would never know that the road goes through or near any towns, but with map in hand it is easy to exit the parkway and explore small town America right next door. Think of your typical "exit ramp" on an interstate, The Natchez Trace Parkway could not be more different nor more refreshing. There are no giant and brightly lighted signs advertising Micky-Dees or Motel 6 at these exits and entrances to the parkway. The parkway travels either over or under major, high traffic highways...smaller rural lanes simply cross the parkway here and there.

We took only a fairly small segment of the parkway, From Jackson, Mississippi north 105 miles where we exited on Highway 82 at Mathison. We thought, Better to take a smaller section of the parkway in an unhurried, relaxing way than to try to do more by simply driving faster and stopping less.

The highlight of the drive was the unexpected near meeting the the 'gator at the Big Cypress Swamp. Now THAT is a real live Southern swamp.