A Brave New World? Confronting the Challenges of a World in Shambles

• Published date: 01 September 2021
• Author: Jeremy L. Hall
• Date: 01 September 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13424

A Brave New World? Confronting the Challenges of a World in Shambles 821

This morning was my son’s first day of school.

He’s a new middle schooler, and while we

are not happy about him peering out over a

soggy-stale face mask all day, he is at least going back

to school in person. Nonetheless, his enthusiasm is as

contagious as the virus that has heckled us for the last

two years; he was ready early, and raring to go.

I will admit to being a little enthusiastic myself. I

like the routine that comes with the school day; the

firmness of the schedule, the dedicated time to think

while the house is a little quieter; the opportunity to

see and interact with people I have not seen in a while.

My son’s big request today—besides getting back the

cell phone from which he had been grounded—was

getting to ride through the school drop-off line in my

new car. I will admit to being stoked about the idea in

spite of the inherent inconvenience. You see, I’m not

driving a new Cadillac, no new Mercedes, no BMW.

It’s not electric, not stylish, and not much to look at,

if I’m being honest. But it does turn heads. The school

police officer has expressed his appreciation, and this

afternoon the superintendent asked me what I’d take

for it, today, without backing out. My “new” car is a

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, 2 door hardtop. It has been

partially restored, but it’s more than a little rough.

It has no seat belts. No air conditioning. No power

steering (they say it takes all of your power to steer).

No power brakes. It’s a little loud, and it burns a little

oil. I love it, and I’m proud that my son has taken

interest in something I care about.

Sitting in it, the first thing you notice is that the

bench seat is not particularly comfortable. The springs

squeak. The steering wheel is larger than the actual

wheels. It takes all of your hands and all of your feet

to manipulate the beast into submission. There is no

technology—no computer chips or microprocessors

telling anything what to do. No GPS. Not even

cupholders. It is all mechanical, and has no frills.

Yet, all at once, as you pull out onto the road, you

are taken back to a simpler time—overwhelmed by

the nostalgia as the wind hits you in the face. There

is no need to speed as you marvel at how something

64 years old can still function so admirably.

I’ve always loved classic cars. I was fortunate enough

to get to ride in some beautiful cars when I was a

child. My Dad’s best friend, Mike, restored cars for

a living, but he mostly did it out of love. He had a

pristine 1935 Hudson Terraplane that he brought

out on special occasions. His daily driver was a

blue 1950 Ford coupe. At one point, he cobbled

together a multiyear “Oldsmoford” from three (or

more) different car bodies, just because he could. I

had bought a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air that was in his

shop to be restored when he died. I still have that car,

but it has never been restored beyond the work he

began. Old cars have the combined appeal of basic

mechanical functionality coupled with the beauty of

their design and style. You can maintain them without

specialized expertise, know that they will get you to

your destination, and look good in the process. They

invoke a strong sense of tradition. They are simple, yet

beautiful.

Innovation is amazing; it is the fuel that drives the

economy (Hall 2007a, 2007b; Hall and Howell-

Moroney 2012). To innovation we owe greater

efficiency, cleaner air, and a host of developments that

have improved our quality of life in modern society.

But it does not mean that we should ignore the

past, nor should we seek to eradicate it. Technology

regularly advances in the marketplace much more

rapidly than government can keep it regulated.

Consider the number of microprocessors that are

integrated into an average automobile today. Cars

today are technological marvels. Some are capable of

reducing the number of cylinders operating in the

engine to reduce fuel consumption. Many can plot

out a course on GPS in real time by receiving location

information from satellites. Others are capable of

driving autonomously with little or no human input.

Now, pause to reflect on the fact that, in spite of these

innovations, the road itself has not evolved much since

the days of horse and buggies. Tradition and progress

A Brave New World? Confronting the Challenges of a World

in Shambles

Public Administration Review,

Vol. 81, Iss. 5, pp. 821–824. © 2021 by

The American Society for Public Administration.

DOI: 10.1111/puar.13424.

Jeremy L. Hall

University of Central Florida

Editorial