“Progress is ugly.”

That dismal thought struck me as I was driving country roads, enjoying expansive, gently rolling farm fields – a view interrupted by a never-ending row of power poles.

Many of the weathered, wooden standards were leaning, waiting for a storm that would finally bring someone who cared. Or at least was paid to care and repair.

I wondered about years ago when those poles were planted. Was there excitement about the promise they made? The power they’d bring to brighten homes and shops. Make life easier. Those poles also connected telephone lines and then cable TV. Then, more progress brought us towers for the cellphones in every pocket and purse.

Technology tends to creep into our lives. This is most striking to me as I travel the ever-so-convenient interstate highway and pass under those colossal power lines that stretch beyond sight.

Every time I see the huge metal structures, they remind me of creatures from “The War of the Worlds.” Sometimes I hold my breath as I rush through the electric “cloud” that I imagine fills the surrounding air.

New technology I see blossoming now in corn country is fields of solar panels harvesting the power of the sun to deliver us energy.

I wonder if anyone ever took a hard look at how those poles and towers interrupt the landscape. But hey, I know that is the price of progress. The advancement of civilization requires a certain amount of tolerance.

I remember a photo I saw long ago. The shot was from above, showing row upon row of rooftops – homes jammed together. What stood out was the massive clutter of TV antennas. Every home had this ugly metal contraption needed for entertainment. The photo was a clear reflection of a significant part of our lives at that time.

Still is, I guess, but now I see more “dishes” for cable connections. There’s a small apartment building I drive by now and then. Covering one corner of the building, there is a tall stack of cable dishes, one on top of the other. One for each apartment. I am reminded again: “Progress is ugly.”

But then, when I sit on our back patio, nestled into stylish patio furniture, I can’t help but see the abandoned cable dish on my roof. I see the wires tucked into the siding, not really hidden. Nice try, though.

The houses around me also have their little TV bumps on the roof – or wherever it works best. Normal. Those poles along the road. Billboards along the highway. Cell towers. They are all normal. I have learned to tolerate the ugliness of normal.

I study the landscaping of other homes as my dog walks me through our neighborhood route. Mostly, what stands out are the metal fence stakes driven into every front lawn. Bolted to each is a bright red address sign. All are required to help firefighters find elusive addresses on country roads.

The signs are splattered across entire neighborhoods. Some homeowners try to decorate them, to incorporate them into their manicured lawns. Easier said than done, though. But, again, there’s that price tag for progress. Although I do question the technology of red signs versus a GPS app that takes you directly to addresses.

On our last dog walk, I especially noted how one homeowner tried to enhance the city’s yellow fire hydrant in the front yard. I also have the bright yellow statue in my yard – a new addition this year with city water hookup. I wonder what I can do to help it fit into my landscape. A fire hydrant in front of my house must be a benefit, right? I tell myself that now, every time I mow around it.

Yes, I know, I need to lighten up. The world is full of little blemishes. And the benefits far outweigh the minor distractions. Most of the time. I just needed to rant and share a thought. That progress sure can get ugly.

Meanwhile, I will join many others and do what I can to pretty up the real world. In fact, right now I am fighting the urge to attach my red address sign to the top of that yellow fire hydrant.

• Lonny Cain, retired managing editor of The Times in Ottawa, also was a reporter for The Herald-News in Joliet in the 1970s. His PaperWork email is lonnyjcain@gmail.com. Or mail the NewsTribune, 426 Second St., La Salle IL 61301.