In the vast plains of Texas, the roads have become a battleground. Here, man’s struggle with machine becomes a grim ballet, dance steps charted in skid marks and broken glass. A study has shown that these Texans, bold as they are, rank as the nation’s most reckless drivers, a dubious honor indeed. Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma and Kentucky, trailing behind, keep pace in this perilous race.

The metrics of the study are as sobering as the cold morning after a night’s revelry in Pamplona. Drunk drivers, distracted drivers, those who cannot fight off the lure of Morpheus, all contribute to the dangerous dance. They push forward, like the matadors in the sun-drenched arenas, heedless of the looming danger.

Montana, the ninth in the line, has its own tale to tell, of drivers with liquor running hot in their veins, outnumbering any other state per capita. It is as if the inhabitants have taken to heart Jake Barnes’ lament in “The Sun Also Rises” – “How did you go bankrupt? Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”

Interestingly, those places where man has most densely congregated, like Rhode Island, California, and Massachusetts, show a different narrative. They’re like the quiet, diligent fisherman Santiago from “The Old Man and the Sea”, their roads filled with cautious drivers, their incident reports significantly thinner.

My opinion

In my time, I’ve seen much of the world, from the cafes of Paris to the plains of Africa, from the bullrings of Spain to the sea that separates Cuba from the mainland. I’ve seen men and women at their best and worst, sometimes both at once. It is a curious thing to read about these roads, these drivers.

It is not unlike the bullfight, this dance of metal and speed. There is a reckless beauty to it, but it carries a heavy price. It seems to me that there are those who have forgotten that with freedom comes responsibility, that the open road is not just a place of joy and liberation, but also a place of caution and respect for others.

It is a sobering thing, this report. It reminds us all of the need for caution, for respect for the lives of others. It is a cautionary tale for our times, a reminder that, as Jake Barnes knew all too well, the road to disaster is often paved with good intentions and bad decisions.

The post Hemingway: Texas, the Unrivaled in Roads of Recklessness first appeared on Famous Writers AI.

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Le’Veon Bell, a soldier from the steel cities of Pittsburgh and New York, confessed to an affair with Mary Jane before his battles on the gridiron. “Aye, it was my ritual,” Bell confessed, voice lost somewhere between pride and melancholy, on a podcast, a modern form of town crier. “I’d have a dance with Mary Jane, then charge the field, my legs a blur, my vision set on the end zone.”

He spoke of his past, a warrior of the league who hasn’t seen the battlefield since the year 2021. He was disciplined by the league’s high command, twice for indulging in the forbidden leaf while fighting under Pittsburgh’s banner. He was a gladiator, a one-time All-Pro and thrice-chosen for the Pro Bowl, a dual-threat from the Steelers’ ranks.

A contract dispute, as cold and unyielding as the steel of his city, saw Bell benched for the 2018 season. He shared his grievances, bitterness etched in his words. Bell sought more than a one-year guarantee, but the Steelers were as stubborn as the iron they were named for. “A petty thing it was, the squabble over guarantees,” said Bell. “I pondered, could I have swallowed the bitter pill? Perhaps, perhaps.”

His tale took a turn when he signed a contract with the New York Jets, a parchment promising $52.5 million over four years, including $35 million secured. Yet, his march with the Jets was as short-lived as a summer’s day, ending before two years had passed. He held no punches when speaking of his New York coach, a man named Gase, criticizing his leadership on the field of battle.

In his words, a lament for the Jets’ struggles and the confusing orders from the commanding officer that left their quarterback bewildered. Despite these tribulations, Bell had faith that with a commander like Steelers’ Coach Tomlin, they could have won at least nine games.

Bell’s journey took him to Kansas City, Baltimore, and Tampa Bay after his release from the Jets. His achievements speak of a man born for the battlefield: 6,554 yards run, 42 touchdowns, 399 passes caught for 3,289 yards, and nine scores. Even now, despite his absence from the last season and a dalliance with the noble art of boxing, Bell dreams of a final charge on the field, a chance to prove he’s not yet a relic of the past.

Hemingway’s Personal Opinion:

In my time, I’ve seen many a man like Bell. Born fighters, men who find their meaning in the thrill of battle, the rush of the charge, the taste of victory. Their spirits are as restless as the sea, always seeking the next wave, the next fight. Bell’s story is one of a warrior adrift, a man caught between the thrill of the past and the uncertainty of the future.

His dalliance with Mary Jane, while controversial, speaks of a man seeking an escape, a moment of solace before the storm. It is not for me to judge the man, but to tell his tale. His quarrel with the Steelers, the bitterness of the contract dispute, the struggles with the Jets – they are all part of his battle, his story.

In his journey, I see the same restless spirit I’ve known in the matadors of Spain, the fishermen of Cuba, the soldiers on the Italian front. A man ever in pursuit of his own arena, his own Santiago’s marlin, his own San Fermín festival. A man longing for one more dance on the field, one more run toward the end zone, one more battle under the glaring lights.

And who am I to deny him this? We all have our battles, our arenas. For Bell, it is the field of green and the roar of the crowd. For me, it is the blank page and the pull of the pen. As the old man Santiago said, “Every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes, you are ready.” So, let Bell have his battle. Let him be ready for his luck.

The post Hemingway: Le’Veon Bell: A Dance with Mary Jane Before the Gridiron Battle first appeared on Famous Writers AI.

The post Hemingway: Le’Veon Bell: A Dance with Mary Jane Before the Gridiron Battle appeared first on Famous Writers AI.