Believeable

Walking home this weekend, I saw a common scourge of lockdown life.

From the other end of a fairly long bridge, a Tesla SUV accelerated as if preparing for takeoff.

It rocketed by, down the wide-open lane, and was followed neither by a sickening smash nor a siren. And, as it passed, I shook my head and muttered, “Unbelievable.”

Hardly.

Like so much in the news today, it’s entirely believable that someone with car that might very well have a “ludicrous mode” might wish to try it out when suddenly freed from the usual snarl of traffic.

Self-centered? Perhaps. Ungoverned? Maybe. Not my choice? Probably. But unbelievable? Not really.

If the way forward is going to be any better, we’re going to have to stop shaking our heads at so much of what’s “unbelievable” in our world and in our culture.

Otherwise, a whole lot of hurricanes and killings and protests and tweets that are very, very much on trend will be relegated to the land of “thoughts and prayers.”

***

PS: Who and what to believe is another matter. Still another (predictable, believable) scourge showed up right on time: fake images and stories about protests and protestors, amplified by the credulous and the malicious. Just like when driving, please pay attention when (re)tweeting.