I remember when I first started driving, in 1997 and 1998, when drivers used to flash their headlights as a warning signal to slow down, usually due to either an act of nature (i.e. deer) or an act of the state (i.e. police). I’ve noticed over the past three or four years in particular that this practice has, for the most part, ceased, and I’m curious as to what the cause would be.
I can fathom that the late 90s/early 00s greed led to people acting in their own self-interest, and thus the flashing of headlights sets them at risk for a ticket of their own, and also that it essentially took time, which was a thing that people no longer felt the need to give to strangers. It is disappointing, though, because it was a random act of kindness between strangers that helped make the roads feel more friendly.
My sister’s concert was tonight, and I’ll give it mixed reviews. Granted, it is “only high school”, but I wasn’t impressed with either the Men of Hunterdon or the Women’s Choir. The Women’s Choir sounded listless, uninspired, and lethargic, with the exception of the last song, where they finally woke up somewhat. Their rendition of Java Jive was jarring. The Men of Hunterdon sounded unusually flat, surprising because most years they put on a good show. The Madrigals were the bright spot of the evening, and I did enjoy the Concert Choir’s Newsies medley. I will also add at this point that I found many of the soloists’ voices grating.
Overall, the night seemed less strong than in years past, though this may be related to their splitting of the night in to two nights, with various chorale groups performing on different nights. Obviously, by the strong feelings of the staff, they would disagree, but that’s alright with me…