I made the turn down Hillside Road in Amarillo the other day and noticed a lengthy row of orange construction cones stretching from the Canyon Expressway to Bell Street.

My first reaction to my wife was, “Well, that’s just great.”

Then I caught myself. I wasn’t going to go there — then, or now.

Hillside seems to have been carved up of late more than a Christmas turkey. That’s OK. It’s the price of progress, I reckon.

Amarillo’s streets appear to in a constant state of repair. It makes sense, given our community’s love affair with motor vehicle transportation. I tend to support what’s known generally as “infrastructure improvement.”

Sure, it makes me grumble at times. However, I also understand the payoff at the end of it. We get streets that don’t rattle our bones as we travel along them. They don’t mess up our vehicle alignment or damage our tires.

Some of the City Council candidates are addressing the street construction issue in varying ways. I welcome the discussion, as it is part of the job of councilmen and women to address these issues that have such a direct impact on our lives.

I haven’t yet caught up with what’s going to happen with the Hillside construction. I should get to know, as it is a street my wife and I use regularly.

Wherever you live or travel throughout Amarillo, please heed this tiny bit of advice: They say that patience is a virtue; it becomes especially true as we seek to navigate our way around the city.

Be patient.