Roads, fences, boundaries, grids

Once upon a time, a sea of prairie grass covered what is now the state of Illinois and much of the Great Plains. Free and wild. That is now gone, replaced by the checkerboard pattern of farms and fields, cities and towns – roads, fences, boundaries and grids.

You can argue whether that is a good thing or a bad thing.

Once upon a time all of us were young and unformed. Free and wild. Over time, we accepted the boundaries and learned to color within the lines. What remains is a checkerboard of roads, fences, boundaries and grids.

You can argue whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. But we all tend to take notice of and obsess over those who break free from those boundaries. How else to explain supermarket tabloids and American Idol?

Click on picture to enlarge. Photograph © 2008 James Jordan.