4/20/2011
I knew today’s distance was going to be relatively easy so I didn’t put too much into my run. I didn’t feel like soaking three layers of clothing with sweat. We thought it was springtime but the cold tells me otherwise. Is this tornado season? Apparently this year we are having more tornadoes than usual. It’s happening all across my route. I feel like a storm chaser as I keep running towards the storms instead of away. They even say there are hailstorms with golfball size hail. Getting hit on the head by one of those things could kill me. Or at least it would leave a huge welt. When I turned on the weather report they showed houses in St. Louis being splintered by the storm. Entire homes ripped to shreds. I should watch less weather channel. It’s not very encouraging.
On the road I got to thinking about America, what it means to be American, and American values. This great land once belonged to very proud and noble people. The Indians; these people had great respect for the earth and the balance between all living things. Then one day many foreigners came. These foreigners took the land and gave the Natives diseases. They later felt bad and decided to try and make amends. The government gave them patches of desert and lots of liquor. To top it off they gave the Natives permits to build casinos. Just like the old sweat lodges they once used, these casinos are cramped rooms with lots of smoke.
Surprisingly I have seen many Indians all along route 66. But alas, they are from a different tribe. Instead of sporting feathers on their heads, they sport the red dot. I never would have known that so many Indians from India came here to open hotels had I not taken this journey. But they too are Americans now. Are they living the American dream? Their kids are doing very well in school. Just like Gabriel from yesterday, they belong to immigrant parents. All of these people share the desire that their children lead better lives than them. They know it is education and hard work which makes that dream possible. In America, our single greatest resource was our public school system and our institutes of higher learning. We have more universities in this country than the rest of the world combined. But, things are changing. Our values and ideals are changing. Kids once grew up being influenced by Neil Armstrong. Now they are influenced by “The Situation”. If you don’t understand the reference, good for you.
With prosperity, people become complacent. Every great civilization before us has fallen. If we don’t wake up and get back to the ideals America was founded on, we will join that distinguished list.
Big thanks to the Inn at Expo Square in Tulsa. Love the cozy room.
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