 Instantaneous He Won't Commit We Don't Own the Land Too Much Sex  Ask the Shaman Yourself |
As a native of Bloomington I have seen many changes in the last 40 years. Certainly, the development and building in the last few years have been enormous. Most of the progress has been a trade off. While I miss the cows and rolling country that now sport expensive residential developments, I recognize that the growth is a necessary component for our fiscal well-being. The personal relationships with small merchants have mostly given way to the impersonal price shopping at nationwide chains. It doesn't all please me, but I'm willing to live with it. What I'm not willing to put with is the honking! For years, unless an accident was imminent, or a young man was picking up his date, you seldom heard a car honk. It was simply considered impolite and annoying. Now, in the last few months, this impatient and unnecessary noise is on a steady rise. The enjoyment of a leisurely drive is now continually threatened by the abrasive horn of the driver behind you. Do you have any suggestions? Honked Off Dear Honked Off: When my family moved to Bloomington a few years back I did notice the silence... everywhere. Compared to the sirens, auto alarms, traffic noises and other cacophonous sounds, the silence here was deafening. Yet, for a long time I kind of missed the honking. In Chicago, the definition of instantaneous was the amount of time between when a traffic light turned green and the driver behind you honked! If I had a nickel for every time the driver behind me leaned his head and shouted out the window: "It won't turn any greener if you water it!", I could retire. Even today, when the driver in front of me seems intent upon finishing his mantra before searching for the accelerator, my hand instinctively strays towards my horn. I have learned, for the most part, to restrain the impulse. The sense of constant urgency which urban centers exhibit was one of the reasons for seeking out the relative calm and sanity of this area. Hopefully, the influx of new residents, with old conditioning, can become aware of and respect the differences. Perhaps the Chamber might issue new residents a bumper sticker saying, "It's the journey, Tips for Staying in Touch Remember a joyful moment. All of us, no matter how difficult our life, have had moments of pure joy. It's important to recall those. To remember exactly how it felt and how you felt. In so doing, you set the stage for the next joyous moment as well. |
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