Ebb & Flow

I often find myself suddenly amazed by simple and familiar things. I was in the car the other day, driving home on the turnpike. After about an hour on the road, I realized that I was riding at a fast rate of speed - inside of a vehicle. I know what you are thinking: duh. After about 30 seconds I was calling myself an idiot - but still, it is pretty interesting.

Really think about it. Dozens of vehicles moving together in relative harmony. Fast moving cars, trucks, and motorcycles gliding forward and sideways over the roadways like so many friends roller skating. Occasionally, we slip into a kind of subconscious autopilot and just cruise. We settle into our seat with music and the wind, and somehow find ourselves pulling into our driveway moments later.

That fact that all of this is not only possible, but also normal enough for us to think of it as dull or redundant is a testament to many things. From the power of our central nervous systems to coordinate our actions, to the creativity of human intellect to build more efficient modes of travel than our own two feet. Mostly, I am impressed by the ability of people to move together. It's not coordinated or anything - we will never ever even speak to 99.9% of the drivers we encounter on the road. Nevertheless, we find ourselves traversing highways and byways together everyday, in every corner of the globe. Yes, it's simple, but it is so very elegant as well.

flip side.

On the very same day of my epiphany, on the very same road - I found myself in traffic. The cars in front of me came to an abrupt stop; nothing but tail lights and exhaust for as far as I could see. For the next few minutes, the two lanes of herded vehicles plodded along slowly. Windows began rolling down, and heads were being poked out of windows to survey the landscape ahead. Eventually, we happened upon an accident scene. On the other side of the road. I could see vehicles pulled over to the side, then a firetruck, then police cars holding the oncoming cars at bay. The first vehicle in the fray was a small car. Its rear end was smashed in, the trunk crumpled like a finished beer can. The second vehicle was a semi - it was pretty much in tact.

The herd moved slowly passed the scene. Like mourners at a funeral, the long procession of autos took their turn at the ceremony. Not so much for sentiment, though, as for intrigue. Each driver surveyed the scene for clues to what happened, and what had become of those involved. They gave themselves a moments to take in the carnage. This behavior is called gaper delay, and the reason that it occurs is simple. Conflict is almost as addictive as crack-cocaine, and may be just an iota behind in raw destruction.

So that is the proverbial double-edged sword. On the one hand, humankind is moving forward together - towards our own personal goals, and aspirations, as well as toward those of our society at large. On the other hand, we are creatures of contest and competition. We revel in the clash of battle - sports, MMA, action movies - and anything else that fits into our Us vs Them conditioning. The history of the world is filled with large and small events where people had to choose to ride side-by-side or crash head-on. And that will be the future of our society as well.

Change is absolutely possible. We can learn to love, and to continuously fight the surge of our own vengeful impulses. But it takes work, and we all have to want it enough to do our part - even if it is just within ourselves. We have to remember that our legacy lives forever; in the memories of others and in the imprint we leave on the world. As a father, I often wonder about the world my son someday inherit. Will that brave new world truly have the courage to work for harmony, or revert to the base urges of anger, fear, pride, and jealously that have guided us since the beginning of time?

I don't know the answer to that - but I am hopeful.