It's the 60s, all over again

Most of you not reading this would have little to no idea of what I speak. You weren't even born yet.

Waaay back in the 60s and early 70s, there was an ongoing big push encouraging people to do something about pollution. You couldn't go half an hour on the tv without at least one commercial pointing out how nasty our little corner of the cosmos was getting. Images of huge landfills, litter along some nameless highway, and something nasty in the river were displayed so constantly that I think a case might be made for "force".

Looking back on it, it's easy to related to the scenes in "A Clockwork Orange" where the protagonist is forced to watch violent films until he's 'cured'.

I'm not complaining! Even I agree that a lot of good came from that campaign. I have memories of a trip to Canada at about that time, and even at that age, I noticed the difference in the cleanliness of the roadside. As soon as we crossed the border into Canada, the roads became significantly cleaner. The difference was marked enough that I noticed it then, and I remember it now. A lot of water has flowed over the dam since then.

Now, without doing a lot of research - I am basing this on memories, after all - it seems to me that California was at the vanguard of all the bruhaha. I'd even go so far as to say California started it all. It certainly seems to mesh well with the mind-set of the era.

Every day, as I putter along on the nation's highways, I am reminded of that campaign, and I'm grateful for its success.

Almost every day. You see, it wasn't a success everywhere. Inroads were made, and for a time all was skittles, but one place in particular has utterly failed. Being the kind of person I am, I'd have initially knee jerked and said I was talking about New Jersey, or maybe Massachusetts (the only state harder to spell than Mississippi). I'd be wrong. Again.

Indeed, the state with the nastiest (and that is NOT too harsh a descriptor) highways is none other than that home of the warm fuzzy "the earth is our home" mother earth kiss-the-dirt sentiment: California.

Surface streets and the like are quite well tended. Very clean. Get out of the residential areas? It looks as though somebody threw down some asphalt across a landfill.

Here we have the state with the highest tax base in the country, preaching to all and sundry about pollution and whatnot (see their CARB study and rules), and they can't even keep their own back yard clean.

I am not impressed.

Time IS cyclical!

Ah.. nothing like the taste of Doritos and grape juice to bring back memories of summer travels with my parents, back in the 60s. Don't get me wrong - I learned a lot - the trips were always educational in at least some aspect. I remember Yellowstone, the Tetons, and Dinosaur Nat'l Monument. I also remember endless hours in the back of the van with my sisters and the dog...

On the whole, though, I think (looking at it from the big end of the telescope) that over all, I enjoyed it.

I have to wonder, though, if that part of my life left a stronger imprint on me than expected. It's been two years (ok, 26 months, almost) since I last posted here. During that time, I've been unemployed, and then employed as a truck driver again - for a local outfit, delivering electrical supplies to construction sites (mostly). Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it... but something was missing.

In September of this year, I grabbed an opportunity, and here I am: back on the road again. I've been to both coasts (if you count the headwaters of the Potomac as part of the east coast). I've been to the southern tip of Texas.

I said it on my Facebook page: I can't believe they pay me for this!

The scenery is seldom boring - and when it is, that usually means the weather is making the drive itself a challenge. I get to meet all kinds of people (most of whom remind me how lucky I am to not like people), and get to peek in the back room of various and sundry industries.

September saw me watching a forest fire outside Beaver, UT, while the ash fell like snow around me. How cool is that?

So, here it is, a whole bunch of years after the 60s. The van full of family and dog (and all the various and sundry things a family of 6 needs on an extended camping trip) remains a fond rememberance, but it's been replaced by a 2004 Peterbilt 387 with closets, two bunks, and a significantly older me.

In the game of life, how often do you get to say "I win!"?