Road Trip

Road Trip

By John W. Vander Velden               6-4-2014

 

I guess people travel differently than we did when I was young, in the days before Interstate Highways, when the road taken went through every town large and small that stood in our way.  There was a time we lived in Florida and those years we made the pilgrimage back to Indiana each year.  Typically the journey took the better part of three days -- providing we stated early.  We always started early.  The filled 59 Chevy Biscayne, with six and later seven, made for long days.

But staring out the window at the ever changing landscape revealed a portion of what America was then.  Looking out across the farmland or what seemed the endless ups and downs of the Appalachians as we moved on the many two lane highways.  One particularly hot day, for cars were not air conditioned then, I remember the slow traffic and the endless row of stop lights as we made our way through the heart of Nashville.  The child, I was, wondered why the traffic signals were painted black.  That memory has left me avoiding that city even today.  Perhaps it is a silly notion for many adore the Music Capital.  But this country boy much prefers open spaces -- I guess I’m allowed my preferences -- I will allow you yours.

As a third grader, I had not full developed my understanding of U.S. geography.  The time spent traversing Georgia and Alabama seemed to stretch toward eternity but we crossed Tennessee and Kentucky in a matter of hours.  My favorite part was the grand horse farms of the Kentucky green hills.  The miles of white fence that raced beside us along the road.  The land so groomed as mile after mile, farm after farm filled my young eyes with wonder.

We didn’t have those electronic wonders that fill the lives of travelers today.  My nephews scarcely noticed the world beyond as they spent hours on attempting to complete some game or another.  It passed the time -- but I wonder.  No, the world is not the same.  In many ways it is better.  Better roads --- better autos -- better ventilation -- better seats – yeah -- better.  Vans have DVD players and video screens to entertain cross country travelers.  But what do they miss?  

But we are all on another “road trip”.  For each day we travel forward on the journey called our life.  And I wonder how the changes in society and technology and our use of all the electronic wonders at our finger tips change that trip as well.  I fear a disconnect caused by “social media” where we engage others on the screen and the person across our table goes unnoticed.  Do we no longer look out of life’s window as the world rushes onward while focused on gadgets, phones with greater intelligence, or the infinite wisdom of “Google”, and doing so purposely disconnect ourselves from those that stand at the roadside waving as we pass by.

We cannot expect the world to return to those times of my past.  Cars move with the windows sealed, the scents of city and country are pretty much left beyond the reach of our noses.  The Interstate highways allow rapid crossing of the distance but also hide so much of the landscape – the ordinary places – that we cross.  So the road trip is not what it once was.  Neither is our everyday “road trip”.  It becomes a challenge – one we can choose if we only will – to use all the tools we have available to not separate but to connect us to those closest – those that desperately need our touch – physical touch  -- those that need real contact – face to face contact.  For my friends, we are all on a “road trip”, on this journey together.    

(633 Words)