Wanted: Lexus Quality Yugo Price!

With the Governor of Pennsylvania accusing the NFL of “wussiness” this week, I admit to a temptation to haul out the old “In my day . . . “ platitudes. There was a time my little ones when wind chill, bike helmets, and seat belts did not exist. Are we wusses for adopting scientifically proven safety supplements? Probably not.  But a side effect of our move toward added comfort and safety has been to magnify our expectations for a trouble free existence in spite of curves thrown by Mother Nature. It is our fickle, liability ridden, and irrational expectations that are the real issue.

I noted in my Christmas newsletter that I was an ornery, strong and independent cuss who didn’t like taxes, regulations, or big government of any kind. All I wanted from my government was “ good schools, smooth roads, national parks, efficient air traffic control, safe food and drugs, fast response from police, fire, and rescue services, a strong military, insulation from all terrorist threats without any inconvenience to me, and by the way, don’t you dare touch my Medicare.”

To that we must now add, “clean my streets of twenty-four inches of blowing snow by morning so I can walk my dog in comfort.” The obvious irony remains. We don’t want anyone to interfere with our lives or our pocketbooks until we have need of the services we somehow have been made to think we are entitled to without much cost or inconvenience.