Essay from Cedar Rapids, Iowa: we all need a break

I wrote the following in my Sunday, Aug. 21, column in The Gazette. The setup for the column starts in downtown Cedar Rapids during the noon hour Friday.

I notice the little things on this particular day because the weather seems to be so fabulous and the warm summer day, clear blue sky and short break during the work day seem to clear my mind.

Most people appear to be grabbing lunch or simply getting out for fresh air. Others are busy. A man is painting the city's parking meters. Another is in an alley washing out large containers. A young woman is selling frozen yogurt … to me. It's a small portion because people promoting the governor's Healthiest State Initiative have spoken with the Gazette Editorial Board during this particular week.

I take a seat on a bench next to the railroad tracks and think that I should just write about what I observe. It will be a nice break from how busy this summer has been in the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City corridor. Then I remember the last time I did this.

It was last summer, when I wrote a column while watching people interact at an Iowa City coffee shop. The topic seemed benign to me, but I thought it would provide a nice breather before the hectic back-to-school change of seasons.

That column drew an unexpected torrent of rude comments when I posted it on my blog. The mess started when someone wrote a few snarky things about Iowa City, women and liberals. Another reader took the bait and lobbed some barbs at the initial fire bomber, which brought an escalation of person attacks from yet another reader. Then spam artists got in the game, attaching to the blog post attempts to market products such as Internet gambling and sex-related sites.

Wow, I thought. All I did was write about having a cup of coffee and watching people.

So, with that in mind, I find myself on this particular Friday deciding that taking a breather in print likely sets people off because they'd like a breather themselves.

They'd like a break from wondering if this community can move forward in the wake of a flood that happened more than three years ago. They'd like a break from wondering if our public schools can educate young people adequately enough to solve problems dumped in 2011 for solutions when those children are adults. Observing political fights in Washington but also in Des Moines this year, they wonder if anyone in government wants to govern.

They'd like a break from wondering if the stock market that impacts their 401K retirement programs will stop dropping dramatically. Or, whether they can maintain jobs so that they at least have a shot at retirement.

So, while a nice break on this one Friday has been welcome, it only is a moment. As I relax on the park bench I hear a train whistle in the distance. Cedar Rapids' audio beacon. It is time to cross the tracks and forge on before a train blocks the way back to work. Funny how quickly a breather becomes wasted effort if you let something block your way.