American travel

Carissa's post made me recall a former job when I used to travel three weeks out of the month for seven years. I was a trainer for a software company and the owners were really cheap. So after a full day of work on Monday, I would fly out that night. Usually, on a recycled ticket so rarely was I flying as myself. This was long before the days of 9/11 and tight security. With a ticket in someone else’s name, I was a little nervous that the plane would crash and no one would be able to identify me. What's worse is I'd invariably arrive in an unfamiliar city, have to rent a car in the dead of night and drive to a distant place beyond the arriving airport.

What I found was how much McDonald's has created a homogenous American culture where "everywhere is the same.” My mom tells me about traveling in the 40s pre-Interstate and how it was so special back then. Every town seemed to have its own personality. Now we can go from Miami to Massachusetts and rarely see a unique spot along the way. Everywhere we go we can find fast food restaurants and nondescript strip malls along the Interstates.

But I’ve also found that when you find yourself lost in the dark of a small town, just look for the golden arches and you’ll find someone who can guide you back where you need to be. Unless you are in downtown Mobile, Alabama at two in the morning; then even McDonald’s is shut up tight. Streets are dark and you have to park across the street from the hotel because the hotel’s under construction. And the guy in the lobby has no security guard to walk with you from your car back to your room with your luggage. You find yourself walking through a dark parking deck worried for your physical safety and wonder if your job is worth this and you make a conscious decision to find another job.

At least that’s what I did that night in 1993 and began a new career where I wouldn’t have to travel so much. I love to travel now but on my terms, under my own identity and when I’m rested. After all, nowadays traveling is a job in and of itself passing through security, delayed flights and the edge that everyone seems to feel about flying.

Quicker way to read everyone's blog posts

Hey I wanted to tell ya'll about a place you can go to read everyone's posts and keep up with what's newly posted. http://www.google.com/reader

It's neat - all the blogs you are following show up (you might need a google id to get on and see it) but one page comes up showing all the blogs you're following. Then you can scroll through and read everyone's posts that you haven't read.

Saves time, it's efficient and you can keep up with who you want to comment on. I haven't figured out how to get in and make comments from the Reader. But then it might just be a "reader" and not a place to make comments.

Thought I'd share that little tidbit :) Happy blogging

My Rant about Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs

I'm not sure what to say about this book and I have to do a presentation on it! For me, it seems like Klosterman is really young and goes on tangents about topics that really aren't of interest to me personally. It's hard to get excited about things that I don't like - like television shows. I have two shows I like to watch. That's it. I'm not a big TV fan. Anyway, he goes on and on about this MTV show (which I'd never heard of - sorry I'm aging myself with this post!!) and he knows all the characters from every season and what gets me the most about him? He uses these on-screen personalities to typecast his own friends and acquaintances he meets. As though they aren't written lines to say and things to do that create reality drama....for pete's sake is the viewing public so dense they think this stuff is "reality" - puhleeez!!! Reality is dull and boring. If you had a web cam on me all day, you'd die of boredom. I think that's the case for most people because our lives just aren't that dramatic. It is when the drama occurs that we get stressed out and wish to go back to being dull again. Am I wrong?

And I suppose it's just difficult reading him after a spending a semester with 19th century writers. I love Dickens and the Bronte sisters and Austin and all of those writers who really told a story well. I mean Klosterman isn't on par with any of my fave authors of that century nor the last. And I'm reading some good authors right now for my memoirs class that just blow me away - Russell Baker is a wonderful writer and so is James McBride and they are current century authors!

I have to finish this book over the weekend and come up with something for a presentation. Ah me!! Ok, so I shall get off my pity pot and try to find something of value. I think I'll read Lee Gutkind's book "The Art of Creative Nonfiction" and perhaps find some art in what Klosterman is doing. I just need to figure out what I'm going to say when I get in front of ya'll next week!! YIKES!!!