Well, sometimes a long sentence is needed to fully express all the thoughts that you want to convey, and that are legitimately interconnected and that would therefore seem scattered if expressed independently, even if you are running the risk of the appearance of a 'flight of ideas' to the casual reader who hasn't taken the time to understand the manner in which all these thoughts fit together - or something.
LOL ... when writing a novel, I have to constantly fight the ‘too long’ demon, becauseun-on sentences can magically switch to pettifoggery, too quickly, and too often, detracting from the story line and confusing the reader who is kind enough to read the darn things. [See?]