Progress vs. Status Quo

I finished reading a real fun book over the weekend. A few weeks ago I was in Las Vegas with some relatives for the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament and my Aunt and Uncle recommended this book to me. The reason they recommended the book is because it is about the Colorado River and, for those of you who don't know, Lake Havasu is part of the Colorado River. We were talking about the region and some of the "River Cities", and my Aunt said (sort of under her breathe), "I wonder why all these city names (Bullhead City, Laughlin, Parker) sound so familiar. Oh yeah, because of this book I read." We got talking about the book and of course I was interested, so she sent it to me about a week later. The name of the book is Wet Desert and it is about an environmental terrorist who blows up Glen Canyon Dam (the dam that holds up Lake Powell). Essentially, the plot follows a main character trying to figure out how to save the dams down the river and minimize any flooding that will take place. Really fascinating story. I am not one for hyperbole, so when I say that this book is riveting, I mean it. Its really akin to a novel version of the show 24. I highly recommend the novel.

But let me get to why I am putting this on the blog...

(I will avoid using any "spoilers" in this, so it is pretty safe to read) Okay, so as I mentioned, Glen Canyon Dam is blown up by environmental terrorists, which are environmentalists who take extreme measures to achieve their objectives. The ultimate plan of this terrorist is to restore the Colorado River to its natural state.

Now most people do not realize, and I just recently learned (as many of you know, this is just the sort of thing I would research), that the Colorado River never actually makes it to the ocean. It is diverted so many times that, by the time it gets to Mexico, it is too small to make it all the way through and it dries up. Supposedly the Colorado River Delta was one of the more beautiful river deltas in the world. I think this is sad. I also think it was an inevitable side-effect of progress. And this all got me thinking about similar sacrifices made in the name of advancement.

We live in a very dynamic world and things can change pretty quickly. Often, these changes happen as a function of progress. For example, handwriting is becoming a lost art. What was once an artistic display of expression is barely relevant. And rightfully so (sorry mom). Think about it, why should handwriting have anything to do with our lives anymore? (Almost) gone are the times of slowing down to "stop and smell the roses". Just today I was at the park with the kids. With them in the playground area, I couldn't sit for 2 minutes and just enjoy the nice day without thinking of someone I needed to send a text message to. We are so connected as a culture; always on the computer or cell phones or Ipods or whatever. I was thinking the only thing that would have "disconnected" me was if I had a book to read or a friend to talk to (what I decided to do after sending a couple texts was to go play with the kids). Now here is the scary part: I was not raised with this mentality... but a generation is being raised with this way of thinking. Oh... and it's not their fault. It's inevitable.

Many of you are thinking how negative a thing this is. IT'S NOT! Think of how fast things get done. Saturday night, I was able to get a babysitter in 5 minutes while at the grocery store. I texted a potential sitter, she asked her mom if she could go and a friend if she wanted to help (all done through texting) and got back to me - I then texted her directions to my house and - BOOM! - a nice evening out with my wife. Very hassle-free.

Here is where I am going with this. There was a term (now kind of a bad word) used in the 19th century: Manifest Destiny. Generally speaking, Manifest Destiny refers to "the inevitable victim of progress." The Colorado River, as beautiful as it was, has had its resource tapped in the name of progress. We have very relevant cities like Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles because of these policies. The inevitable result of tapping the Colorado River, is ultimately a worthwhile sacrifice. Many people, I am sure, disagree with that comment. I understand the argument, but I really can't see it working any other way.

Some of our pasttimes are being lost to this more modern version of Manifest Destiny. Again, the art of handwriting is one. Interpersonal communication is another (recognizable to anybody who has walked by a group of teenage girls and laughed as each of them are engaged in text messaging other people instead of talking to those they are with). How many of us have spent an entire evening within 50 feet of other people, family members(!), without finding out how their day was? Of course, what Simon Cowell thinks of that annoying blond girl is much more important.

By the way, this logic of "sacrifice in the name of progress" is, I believe, a good reason to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska.

What it really comes down to is that we have to know where we draw our line in the sand. We have to decide what is important to us. For example, I think it is more important to have water in Southern California than a beautiful delta as the Colorado dumps into the ocean. I also think we should find moderation in some of these "progress" issues. We have to have a handle on technology in order to compete in today's marketplace, but I really hope I can influence my children so they don't always have to be "plugged in." I know it is a tough battle (and I have no idea what is ahead of me), but that is something that is important to me. I know where I draw my line in the sand on these issues. Or at least I know which ones I care about. Who knows what the ultimate result will be of any of the decisions we make today; all we can do is try to make the decision that is best for us, our families, and our communities.