A Few Notes on Nothing

Got to hand it to the guy who is at dead horse camping with the family. He has approximately three highly strung teenaged daughters and oddly odd wife who is not as loud as her girls and maybe a family friend, or extra wife along, not sure.

The girls scream and cultivate hysteria over everything. You would have thought a bear was attacking them. I think it turned out to be a lizard or bug, not sure. They constantly go to the car turn on the headlights, open and close doors, generally fidget and fuss. They seemed to be having fun from the sound of it. Sound was my main source of observation because I was under and behind trees in my little tent. No escaping it.

I noticed the next morning as I was packing up and pulling out that they had a little tent city going. Three or four pink tents and one larger blue tent. I'm guessing the girls all have identical pink tents. Nice ones, too. The things parents go through trying to provide for their offspring. In a way I envy the guy. In a way I don't. I do like the fact that they were out as a family and their kids were having fun, like cats, imagining great drama where none exists. It must take a patient man to oversee such madness. Never did I hear him raise his voice. No indication of discord. I think it is a mistake that family life is not glorified in more effective ways. Maybe it is the dissolution of gender identity and individual sense of purpose that has done this. Who knows.

I wonder if the fact that people in such settings are less friendly toward strangers is related to the family thing or otherwise significant. I have noticed that fewer people will return a hello or a nod than in the past. Region has something to do with it but not everything. The gradual refusal to respectfully acknowledge the existence of others in certain real life situations is not healthy. More than likely these same people would lol all over the place on their smart phones and computers with complete strangers they'll never see in person.

I hope I never become so insecure that I can't look at a person and at least give a nod of acknowledgement that they exist.

Off the subject. I think I am hooked on the western USA, especially the parts not overly populated. Aside from the wide open largeness and magnificent landscape, there is so much potential to organize and build in ways that haven't been done. It is important not to do it as it has been done because it is obvious that those methods lack foresight. Traffic alone should prove that point. And I do not think the plans to reduce mobility and freedom, and herd people here and there is a reasonable alternative. Parameters should always include maximum individual freedom and choice, then you work the design from there paying attention to consequences on all fronts which you can identify. Ignoring the side effects is the flaw that screws things up. Imagining that humans have no right to be here and use resources is also a recipe for disaster.
the end