September 17, 2005 - Life on the Side Line
Ahh, rest stop culture. In many ways, I think highway rest stops represent a microcosm of our culture. I’m sitting in the parking lot of the Cambridge, Ohio rest stop in I-70. It’s very close to where Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia shake hands.
We all stop for necessary reasons. The most universal one is likely to “use the facilities”. But, we may be stopping to grab a bite to eat at the food truck or vending machines. Others are having a cigarette. Some individuals stop just because of the needs of others in their group. I large mass of seniors, all sporting name tags, just moved passed me. They tell me that as we age (at least we men), our prostates enlarge and me get that urinary urgency and the need to frequently relieve ourselves. So, I imagine these rest stops become very important for groups such as this one from the bus.
A pair of Quaker women just strolled by. I hope that this is a proper description for them. I’ll have to do a bit more reading. They clearly stand out from the rest because of their unique dress…but not enough to catch too much attention from the more commonly dressed.
A woman with severe scoliosis just walked by. She was moving her fingers involuntarily in a way that clearly signifies Parkinson’s Disease.
I do believe that even I caught a few looks from others, either for my “Asian-ness” or possibly because of my unkempt appearance (more likely).
A woman stands there as her child climbs up onto the fence to gain access to the branches higher above. He is beating the crap out of them in an attempt to get some of its fruit that are taking refuge on the higher limbs. His behavior finally catches mom’s eyes and I await the scolding. Instead, she takes him to a lower limb around the side and demonstrates with just as much fury, how to properly shake a tree into submission. The son demonstrates that he has learned the lesson properly and collects his bounty. I guess this activity is replicated throughout the animal kingdom. The Orca teaches its young how to pick off seal pups as they enter the ocean. Sea otters instruct their offspring on the proper use of a rock to break the protective shells of shellfish in order to get to the nutritious flesh. I guess, in some ways, there is no difference. But, for the sake of the community around us, at this rest stop and beyond, I would hope that we could just go to the supermarket.
We all stop for necessary reasons. The most universal one is likely to “use the facilities”. But, we may be stopping to grab a bite to eat at the food truck or vending machines. Others are having a cigarette. Some individuals stop just because of the needs of others in their group. I large mass of seniors, all sporting name tags, just moved passed me. They tell me that as we age (at least we men), our prostates enlarge and me get that urinary urgency and the need to frequently relieve ourselves. So, I imagine these rest stops become very important for groups such as this one from the bus.
A pair of Quaker women just strolled by. I hope that this is a proper description for them. I’ll have to do a bit more reading. They clearly stand out from the rest because of their unique dress…but not enough to catch too much attention from the more commonly dressed.
A woman with severe scoliosis just walked by. She was moving her fingers involuntarily in a way that clearly signifies Parkinson’s Disease.
I do believe that even I caught a few looks from others, either for my “Asian-ness” or possibly because of my unkempt appearance (more likely).
A woman stands there as her child climbs up onto the fence to gain access to the branches higher above. He is beating the crap out of them in an attempt to get some of its fruit that are taking refuge on the higher limbs. His behavior finally catches mom’s eyes and I await the scolding. Instead, she takes him to a lower limb around the side and demonstrates with just as much fury, how to properly shake a tree into submission. The son demonstrates that he has learned the lesson properly and collects his bounty. I guess this activity is replicated throughout the animal kingdom. The Orca teaches its young how to pick off seal pups as they enter the ocean. Sea otters instruct their offspring on the proper use of a rock to break the protective shells of shellfish in order to get to the nutritious flesh. I guess, in some ways, there is no difference. But, for the sake of the community around us, at this rest stop and beyond, I would hope that we could just go to the supermarket.
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