ODE TO THE ROAD MEN

It seems as though road repair is in process in every single major traffic area around where we live.  And for better or worse, the state highway department has embarked on a monster project of widening for miles and miles a very major freeway in our immediate area, with the long-term goal of adding toll lanes, etcetera.   The effect has been, of course, to create whole areas of mountains-of-the-moon landscape, with the accompanying bridge and lane and exit closings, making for either a terrifying or exciting passage, depending on your point of view.  My view seems to be the one of terror, my husband’s that of ‘whee’.  It must be a man-woman thing.

Today we had to cross a newly-widened bridge, only partly completed, to go to an appointment, and out in this 104 degree heat we are ‘enjoying’ right now, were all these men in hard hats, accomplishing what to passers-by such as ourselves seems nigh on to impossible.

They work with traffic buzzing by them, and they are well aware that some of those drivers are driving faster than they should and with cell phones to their ears.  The workmen and the engineers who guide the workmen deal with complicated machinery, weather extremes of heat and cold, obvious constant physical discomfort, all the while carving the earth into some sort of order, and doing their jobs. 

One thinks, sometimes, why do they do it?  Why do they endure all that risk and effort and misery?  Well, some of the answers are obvious.  They must support themselves and perhaps families.  They signed up for the job and they must do it.  They like the challenges, at least some of the time.  And this work needs to be done and not everyone can do it, but they can.  As to any other motives, I can only theorize that after a particular project is complete, one or more or many of the men may come back and take a look and know they helped to create something unique, useful, and sometimes even beautiful.