I really am feeling bad lately about driving and sports. I am obsessing lately about these two things. On the one hand I love cars. I love feeling the vibrations of a great engine, the thrill of driving fast, and the excitement of cornering on tight roads, but I sadly know that this pleasure wastes resources and sends unknown amounts of carbon into the air. I also know that my demand for cars creates more traffic on the highway and consequently causes more congestion and more pollution. I hope that there can a hydrogen BMW or even a Porsche one day so I don't have to worry. Then there is the other issue. If I buy a car that I love because it drives great I will have people with a certain image of me as being rich and wanting to be seen and that really sucks. I would be type casted as a corporate attorney or banker (whatever I choose). Again sad. Perhaps society is trying to send me a message that I should not try to shoot for material goods like cars. Perhaps I need to just learn how to ride a bike and f*** the car scene. I think I will inevitable have to give into driving a car though. It's too hard not too. Gosh darn American culture.
My second obsession lately has been to understand why I watch sports. On the one hand, I would like to start a campaign to end professional sports, but on the other hand I know would alienate everyone around me. It's amazing how innately tied sports are to the world. We almost interact by sports. I know they are great to play, but I am beginning to grow cold on watching them. I have no connection to the people on the field, sometimes I don't even feel they are a good representation of the community in which I live (yet this is another problem because it's so hard to define a community). The only thing I feel they have in common with me is that they live in my community. My guess would be that people watch for this very reason though. Because they want to feel innately tied to a community. So when the Badgers beat the Wolverines it's like a win for the whole Madison community. If Poland beats France then it is a win for a whole country. How did we get sports get to this level? Is this why we get so angry when the Brewers or the Packers lose? Have they let down the whole community? Should we really allow some guys that hit balls with bats to represent our community? Really? Men who wear knee highs?
The irony of this entire rant is that for four years of football and to this day I still believed I represented the entire Marquette High community when I played? Was this an illusion? No, but what did my hits against other teams represent?
Hopefully someone has some answers on these enigmas.
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5 comments:
Joe, if you feel so bad about sending carbon into the air, maybe you should stop breathing.
Enjoy driving! Just do it in moderation. I recommend something like planting a tree or donating money to rain forest recovery in exchange for enjoying driving your car.
Of course, you could also try something like a motorcycle. That way you could still feel the thrill of speed and the roar of the engine, but without such a negative environmental impact. Did you know they are coming out with hybrid Vespas that get 140 MPG?
I don't even feel bad about driving just because of the carbon emissions, but because they have become a sign of status. I don't want to drive a Porsche because I want to make a statement. I want to drive the car because I enjoy the ride, but even then I feel like I am being arrogant. I think I just get a minivan and say, "My wife wanted it." As for when I drive now I do it in moderation. I would buy a Vespas, but they are so noisy and unattractive. I'd get a Segway instead. Though I would think about a motorcycle if I could even ride a bike. I would get a big Harley with a side car and I would put you (Joe) in it and we'd drive around the world. The End.
As a correction on the above statement, I do feel bad because they are both a status symbol and carbon pusher.
I would say riding a motorcycle is easier than riding a bike (at least an automatic shifting one like my moped). A bike is going slower so it is more difficult to balance at first. With a moped, I can take both hands off the handlebars and still cruise straight down the road without a problem (I wouldn't recommend it though for more than a few seconds).
Cars are a status symbol though, no doubt. If you are rich enough, I would just buy 2 cars. One can be for everyday driving in the city where people can see you--that can be a crappy American car or something. Your other car can be something fancy that you drive on the highway or on those fun country roads with lots of hills and curves :-)
I am also obsessed with the world's fastest sports cars. Though there are hybrid sports cars nowadays and they are environmentally friendly. Why don't you try one.
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