Why am I the only sane driver on the road?

Grandson Miles rode with me for a few hours on my road trip to Atlanta for the holidays. I remarked to him, “I’ll bet you a nickel that the next vehicle that passes us is a big, black pickup truck.” I won that nickel - and two more after that.

The 2400 mile round trip to see my son and daughter-in-law and my daughter’s family was for the most part, enjoyable. Except for some fog and a rain/ice storm around Memphis, the weather cooperated and the roads were good (if crowded).

Atlanta drivers, not unlike those here in the Twin Cities, can be crazy as bat shit. I could be going 80mph in a 75mph speed zone, and drivers in both small sports cars and big dark trucks would pass me like I was standing still. Turn signals - what are those? Why can’t I drive under the speed limit in the left lane or pass on the right?

Thankfully, I navigated the long drive without incident and really not even any close calls. But it made me think of something I’d written a few years ago…

Drivers these days come in two varieties -  reckless speed heads in giant pickup trucks and left-lane hogging old farts in Buick sedans doing 45 on the interstate. Period. I am the only sane driver on the highways and streets of Minnesota with a long held policy of driving exactly 12% above the posted speed limit.

When I started to ask myself why I seem to be the only good driver out there, it suddenly occurred to me that there are other good drivers out there - I just don't encounter them. Other good drivers are driving the same speed I am - or close to it -  they will never pass me nor will I ever need to pass them. If they get on the highway a quarter mile ahead of me or a quarter mile behind me, that is where they will stay - out of sight and out of mind. And who can tell how fast drivers going in the opposite direction are travelling? 

Perhaps the same thing holds true of politics. It is only the wing-nuts in both parties who get the notice, not those in the sensible center. What fun is it reading or viewing an opinion that is reasonable, inoffensive, or common sense? The speeders and lane-cloggers of social media are the only ones you really ever encounter. I have faith that the great majority of people share my slightly off-center views.

One final thought occurred to me: are drivers getting worse or am I just getting old? After all, in my misspent youth, I once lost my driver’s license for going 65mph in a 30mph zone. My ‘63 Corvair did not have a working speedometer, but the police officer did not think that was much of an excuse. 

My top 10 books for 2021

There are two problems, as I see it, with these year-end compilations. The first is that they’re generally considered the province solely of professional critics. Why not complement “official” best-of lists with those of your friends? Ask them what they loved this year, or have them compile their favorite works of all time. From the introduction to the 2021 NYT Top 10 list.

I’m writing this with two days left in 2021 and about 200 pages left to read in my 75th book. If I finish, I finish; if I don’t, I don’t. It’s been a good reading year. My goal was only 48 books and I whizzed by that. I tended to spend a lot more time reading than watching anything on Netflix or Prime. Not sure if that will be a continuing trend or not.

Spurred by the comments from the NYT, I’m listing my favorite books of the year. I’ve excluded the regulars I read like Harry Bosch, Jack Reacher, and Gabriel Allon. The books listed tend to be original works. I read both fiction and nonfiction, with the non-fiction being often more impactful than the fiction. I deliberately this year tried reading authors new to me (or in the case of James Lee Burke, not read for many years) since last year I re-read a lot of books.

Here we go - with a short description…

1. Wolf Kill by Cary Griffith. Rewrite of the original Sam Rivers mystery set in northern MN. Read a lot of MN authors this year.

2. Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots. Extremely interesting and readable take on the world of superheroes and supervillains. 

3. A Private Cathedral by James Lee Burke. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy Burkes gritty poetic style and the ambiance of Louisiana. 

4. The Stoic Challenge by William B Irvine. An “advice” book that I continue to think about with strategies I actually use. Recommended by a friend.

5. Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay. Set in the Manilla, a heartfelt family tale dealing with poverty and drug use. 

6. The River at Night by Erica Ferencik. This is a retelling of Deliverance with a female cast set in northern Maine. 

7. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Great narrator on the autism scale, building personal empathy for “neurological divergence.”

8. A Libertarian Walks into a Bear by Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling. Great, humorous commentary on anti-government communities when faced with problems that need governmental action.

9. Why We’re Polarized by Ezra Klein. Listening to this explanation helped me understand the political division tearing the country apart.

10. Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden. Set on a Native American reservation, good cultural descriptions along with they mystery. 

I’m not sure what my reading “theme” will be for next year, but I have 32 titles already on my want-to-read list, including some re-reads. Seems like I learn of a new title of interest every week so I doubt I’ll run low on stuff to read anytime soon.

What titles made your best of ‘21 list? Top 2 or top 200, please share!

Pandemic fatigue

I’m pretty tired of reading basically the same headlines in the newspaper(s) each morning, hearing the same NPR stories, and watching the same reports on the evening news.

The pandemic always leads. If I have heard it once, I’ve heard it a million times - get vaxxed and boosted, wear masks, avoid crowds, cases are rising (at least someplace), new variants are cropping up, new meds are approved, yada, yada, yada. Dr. Faucci, I am sure you are a great guy, but man, am I tired of seeing your mug every damn day.

OK, this is important stuff to know. People are dying. Hospitals are full. Politics is roiling over mandates.

But I am starting to tune out - and I wonder how many other people are as well. The constant drumbeat of the same message starts to fade into the background like the hum of one’s refrigerator. 

Apparently, I am not alone. A quick search turned up “COVID Fatigue: How to Cope with Pandemic Burnout,” Healthline, Oct 18, 2021. The article (“medically reviewed”), states that:

At the beginning of the pandemic, your short-term survival skills kick in. Fear keeps you motivated. But over time, fear subsides and frustration grows. Exhaustion — and complacency — set in.

 and

As the pandemic drags on, more people are tiring of restrictions such as mask-wearing and social distancing. Growing tired of inconvenient public safety measures may be natural, but experts say it could prolong the pandemic even further.

The article does offer advice on keeping from being overwhelmed by COVID news:

• Limit your news-gathering to a specific time. Some people find it helpful to check the news just once per day — and at the same time daily.

• Consider the source. Seek information from trusted, reliable sources. Studies show that when pandemic-related news coverage is laced with highly emotional commentary, it increases anxiety. And anxiety can lead to fatigue.

I am guilty as sin of over “news-gathering.”

My sense is fatigue may do more to prolong this pandemic than active resistance to vaccines, mask wearing, or avoidance of large gatherings.

 Be aware!

Side note: I wrote this post over the course of the last few days. In this morning’s Sunday Star Tribute the above the fold front page headline read: Virus fatigue: enough is enough December 26, 2021. I wonder if the editors recognize the paper’s part in creating the fatigue?