September 22, 2015
Envy
In an attempt to justify political
decisions one councilman wrote in an editorial, “In summary, this council and
staff have made difficult decisions based on the direct requests and needs of
our citizens. For now, suffice it to say that while these changes have been
hard and painful, today, our City government is the envy and the model for
other cities around the state.” Not only is it mind boggling that he would
think other communities are envious, but he also entices taxpayers to relish the
idea that their community is worthy of being elevated and envied. James tells us
of two types of wisdom, “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in
your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such
“wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the
devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there
you find disorder and every evil practice” (James 3:14-16 NIV).
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----”Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” (Prov 27:2) And I’m not fooled for an instant by the councilman’s attempt to couch his own praise into the mouth’s of others.
-----Might I guess what hard and painful changes the clamoring “requests and needs of our citizens” have now brought upon this city? Could it be a new traffic pattern at Cascade Avenue? It is just a guess. And since this great and new pattern so exemplifies the “envious model” of our “brilliant” City government, I think I’ll speak to it.
-----I was passing through town from the East on Main Street several weeks ago. I had forgotten about this wonderful new traffic pattern at Cascade Avenue which required wrapping up the traffic signals in what looks to be trash bags (a telling nuance of the wisdom bringing about such a trashing.) It’s funny how sometimes the mind pulls a nuance into its framework just a moment before an event in its surroundings occurs like an exclamation point to that very nuance. For I was returning from a fine camping trip indeed. So fine was it that in four days my mind had not touched the civilization of our little city. Somewhere around Park Avenue those civilly bagged traffic controls of Cascade Avenue returned to my blissfully scrubbed memory. Since I first saw this ingenuity I have done my best to not traverse our little city on Main Street. And by the thought of how much mental load it now takes to navigate the heart of town with the traffic patterns through North First and South First also having come under the direct and scrupulous control of the City’s councilmen, it rather seemed no signals at Cascade could be quite dangerous as people tried to figure how to get around that little square of town leaving not much attention for observing the other, equally confused traffic.
-----Into this thought emerged two vehicles, one traveling North on Cascade, the other South on the same avenue, and both turning West onto Main Street, one only half a car length before the other. I was impressed at their avoidance of the mishap I somewhat expected. But upon arriving at Townsend they served my expectations very well. Side by side they both blew through a red light. Now there’s a sign of mental overload.
-----Two weeks ago, as I approached Townsend from the West on Main, traffic was lined up long in the left lane at the intersection’s red light. I figured the unobstructed right lane was the place to be. But Char starts informing me that it ended before Cascade and the new pattern was a merge left. Immediately my mind loaded up with how to manage a quick left merge into that line of cars before falling victim to Cascade’s trash bagged signals. It must have been the clear intersection in front of me which caused my overloaded mind to think the light had turned green, because I proceeded into the clear as if it had. My confidence evidently miscued the first driver in left lane, because as soon as we come up beside him going through, he opens ‘er up and follows too. We both blow through that red light.
-----I’m not feeling like the design of those four blocks are anything to envy. In fact, I am sure this new pattern has proceeded from minds more occupied with their own being envied than they are with doing good designing. Now, if that new pattern is not the tough decision this Councilman was speaking to, then we’re in trouble; what more can there be?
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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