Why is the notation for reactions not explicit? I hope that the title of the question is not completely wrong or misleading, however I couldn't think up of a better one.

I have a follow up question to this one. If we look at the following reaction, $$\ce{C + O2 -&gt; CO2}$$

we are taught that gases like oxygen (looking at the reactants), when not part of a compound, always appear in molecular form.

But if to follow one of the answers in the referred question, the reaction has a little more to it. I quote:


  carbon, as normally found in nature as graphite, consists of a molecular solid with every carbon bonded to several other carbons. The reaction C + O2 is shorthand for solid carbon plus oxygen gas, so the reaction involves breaking lots of C-C bonds and O=O bonds resulting in CO2. You have to account for all the bonds broken and formed to know the energy difference.


Why is this fact not accounted for in the reaction $\ce{C + O2 -&gt; CO2}$, in other words, why do we 'allow' carbon to be a free atom (although it's not, in the form of graphite) and 'demand' that the oxygen is in a molecular form? I do assume that chemical reactions are a form of abstraction, that is, we say that regardless of where that carbon atom comes from, it will react with the oxygen molecule into a carbon dioxide, but I still don't understand why we then apply those molecule constraints to oxygen.

To be more explicit about it: the energy spent to break the C-C bonds in the graphite crystal is not easily readable from the reaction, while the fact that the O=O bonds are split, and therefore energy is input into the system, is.
The reaction, described in the form given in the original question, i.e.

$$\ce{C + O2 -&gt; CO2}$$

simply conveys that each formula unit of carbon reacts with one formula unit of oxygen to yield one formula unit of carbon dioxyde. As such, for example, useful to balance how many grams of carbon may be burnt with $\pu{22.7 L}$ of oxygen.  As such, yes indeed, it is a limited representation.  In an analogy, it is like book keeping; (within reason) is does not matter how you paid at a garage (cash, debit or credit) to get your car back -- but to satisfy both sides, it has to be balanced.

This view contrasts with many organic reaction equations as reaction mechanisms which are intentionally drawn with further detail like this:



(source)

Here, the how is important, and consequently outlined with more attention.  As if you would need to explain an apprentice how the teeth of a gear have to be adjusted in face, pitch, flank, etc. to transmit the force from the engine to the wheels.