Flashback!

Sherman, set the Wayback Machine for 1969! For those of you who don't understand that reference, you are obviously uncultured cretins and unworthy of attention. Kidding! Seriously, look it up. I bring this up because I had an odd time travel moment last night. I was driving home from work and as I passed the police station in the small town where I reside, I noticed a bunch of protesters vigorously lambasting passers-by (of which I was one, obviously) with some deeply held conviction or other. Upon closer inspection of the signage, it would seem they were attempting to "save the nature park". How very 1960's! Go Hippies! I must say, I was tempted to stop and offer them a spirited "RIGHT ON, BROTHER!". However, this being the year 2007, I quickly found my callous, apathetic center and continued on in subdued silence. Upon arriving home, my teenage step-daughter informed me that she had heard of the protest and that it was due to plans by the city to bulldoze the local park and build a Kroger grocery store there. Apparently the small Food Lion on the corner isn't enough. Keep in mind that there are not one, but two Kroger stores less than 20 minutes away. She also informed me that some of her friends from school were most likely involved in the protest. Now, despite my aforementioned callousness and apathy, I felt an unusual sense of outrage at the thought of losing a nature park to a bunch of corporate jackals. So I offered to take my step-daughter up there to join the passionate tree huggers in their noble fight. I was feeling a sense of purpose breaking through my normal wall of cynical self-absorption. Why not protest an obvious wrong? Why not fight for what was right, instead of what was easy and profitable? Why not STICK IT to the MAN!! Then my step-daughter says something to the effect of "No thanks, I'm on the computer right now." And it hit me. It wasn't the 1960's. The protesters weren't a bunch of free-lovin' flower children. It was 2007 and they were a mix of bored suburbanite moms and emo kids. The park is most likely doomed. Sacrificed to the spirit of convenience and greed. So long natural beauty, hello 2-for-1 specials on the snack aisle. Progress marches on, trampling roughshod over green pastures and wide-eyed idealists alike. Welcome to the 21st century. Enjoy it while it lasts.