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.

Stuck In The Middle With You

“Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you,Trying to make some sense of it all,But I can see that it makes no sense at all,Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.Clowns to the left of me,Jokers to the right, here I am,Stuck in the middle with you,Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you,Stuck in the middle with you.”
Stealers Wheel, 1972

This might be my political anthem. After years of political drift , the ground I occupy that used to be seen as the middle is seen as left of center by many. One thing hasn’t changed though, we are still surrounded by jokers and clowns on both sides. These days the Jokers and Clowns are not only the politicians….but as often they are those we used to trust to “report the news”. That’s a laugh. These days even an organization that has the word “news” in it’s name doesn't really report news. It’s mostly manufactured entertainment, opinionated bloviators termed analysts by the networks, yelling back and forth at one another.
But this isn’t about politics or the state of modern journalism, as tempting as that might be. This summer Camilla and I traveled through the “heart of the heart of the country.” Quite literally the very middle of the lower 48 states. In the middle of pretty rolling Kansas countryside just outside the unremarkable little town of Lebanon is a neatly mowed little park and a field stone monument announcing we had found the geographic center of the contiguous 48 United States, and the location had been certified in 1918 by no less than the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey.
Now comes the Jokers and Clowns part. It seems this center point was arrived at through something less than scientific methodology. Someone carefully cut out a map of the lower 48 on some thick cardboard and then balanced the piece on a sharp point….it was determined that the map would balance if the point were on this spot representing a spot about 3 miles northwest of Lebanon Kansas. Town fathers no doubt had visions of tourists flooding into the town. A small motel was even built near the site. Of course the floods of tourists did not come, the motel had to close, but a small dedicated group of local backers still maintains the park. I can attest to the natural beauty of that tiny plot nestled in the rolling farmland one beautiful, blue sky, summer day in 2008.