One of my favorite needle drops in any movie is the use of the song “Cruel Summer” by Bananarama in the 1984 classic movie “The Karate Kid.” Those iconic marimbas kick in as Daniel embarks on his first day of school in California after relocating from New Jersey with his mom. He’s already run afoul of the local karate gang. He sports a black eye for his trouble, but steadfastly pushes ahead, navigating his new school, hitting it off with Alli “with an I,” and trying out for the soccer team. Then, of course, the karate jerks set him up again and get him kicked off the team. Simmering underneath that entire scene is the entirety of “Cruel Summer.” You don’t notice it unless you’re working to hear it.
Considering this movie has been on somewhere consistently for over 40 years — it’s probably on AMC or TNT right now no matter when you’re reading this — it’s become a part of the cultural air. If you’re of a certain age, even if you don’t particularly like it, I’d bet you can hit most of the plot beats without much difficulty: elderly Japanese maintenance man who’s secretly a karate master, skeletons at the high school dance, “wax on/wax off,” the song “You’re the Best Around” by Joe Esposito, crane kick, credits. Fun movie!
The reason I’ve spent the first 200 words of this message recounting this movie (and thank you for sticking around!) is because, like this movie, it occurs to me that so much of what the oil and gas industry provides us is also felt and seen, but not examined in any depth. You don’t notice “Cruel Summer,” but it’s there. Maybe you haven’t thought about “The Karate Kid” in a long time, but it’s always there.
In June, we had a Lunch & Learn featuring our colleagues at the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers. I don’t think anyone really considers just how fundamental petrochemicals are to our comfort, safety and fun. After explaining what petrochemicals are, how they’re made and what makes them uniquely useful, our presenter showed an illustration of a soccer goalie making a save in front of the net.
The soccer goalie’s uniform is made from polyester, which is soft and lightweight. The ball is polyurethane-coated leather, which is water-resistant and durable. And the net strings are made of high-tenacity polypropylene, polyethylene and nylon, which are strong and lightweight. Daniel LaRusso probably didn’t think about any of that during his soccer tryouts. And why would he?
Petrochemicals are undergirding so much of society in ways we don’t even notice; they might as well be the “Cruel Summer” of our everyday lives. This is also true of oil and natural gas. We go about our days and take these resources for granted. Even if we’re not talking about petrochemicals, think about the freedom transportation fuels afford us as we’re able to jump in our car or truck and explore Utah’s natural beauty. What about cruising a lake on a boat or a jet ski? Or how about the ability to hop on a plane and visit other corners of our country or the world in a few short hours? All of that is possible because fossil fuels are inexpensive, abundant and reliable.
So that’s what you can expect in this issue. You’ll see how our members are getting out in their communities, how the industry is enhancing education initiatives and how we as an organization are having fun. We’ve got recaps of events that have already happened, save the date notices for events about to happen and photos of it all. Sadly (?) no crane kicks for anyone — maybe that should be a challenge for some brave, nimble soul (we’re kidding, please don’t).
It’s easy to get bogged down in what can be the ceaseless (but necessary) drudgery of federal policy, regulations, and the complexities and vagaries of a globally-traded commodities market. But it’s also summer! So hit the golf course with us, spend a day fly fishing on the river and get out in your communities. We work hard to provide the necessary fuels and petrochemicals that make all of that possible. Join us as we have fun together. And if you don’t, prepare yourself for a crane kick. Again, kidding!
Enjoy the issue.
