There’s a country song sung by Willie Nelson called, “On the Road Again,” where he proclaims his joy at “being on the road again, seeing sights he might never see again and going places where he might never go again.”Yesterday, that song came to me as I hit the road, yet again, for a writing get-together--this time. It was a wonderfully fun time with friends, talking writing shop and enjoying our lunch together, disagreeing agreeably, making plans, enjoying a Skype session with a talented author in Alabama, laughing and growing as writers together.
But getting there is what I wanted to muse on today. The journey.
My husband and I and our two sons--growing up, were on the road a lot. I mean, A LOT! From coast to coast. Washington state to Florida. Texas to Maine. We’ve seen a lot of sights, gone a lot of places we’ll probably never visit again and met a lot of people we’ll probably never meet again. But it was fun!
How did we keep two active little fellows occupied with hours on the road?- We taught them to read before it was time to start school. Books, books and more books were piled into the vehicles with us for their entertainment.
- Games. We made up games, played all kinds of children’s games driving down the road, and they loved it!
- Rewards. Yep, lots of travel time was for business, BUT we always made it up to the boys by doing special things just for them. Museums and all kinds of educational fun stops, sand hills to climb, streams to wade in, animals to check out, you name it and we probably did it or tried to. Why? Because they were as good as two ornery little fellows could be for the duration of hubby’s business. J
- Helped them begin collections they would enjoy and could keep for years if they wanted. From super pencils to animals, knives and pictures or whatever, we tried to create a love of memories for them.
And still, even now, sights and areas intoxicate me and gets the gypsy blood stirring inside me. Doesn’t always have to be famous sights. Ordinary hills and valleys, trees and streams without names, do that to me. With music in the background from a little country to classics and gospel, I sing and tap my way through the journey.
And spiritually?
Wars and rumors of wars. Murdering, and diseases running rampant. Scary decisions in high places. Corrupt politicians and corrupt church leaders. Disappointments, rejections, sorrows and sadness. All of it thrown at us till we, at times, feel laden down with the saturation of horrible things.Yet Jesus said he went away to prepare for us a place to live and will return. He took a journey. He doesn’t want us to worry. All things are in his control. Think on good things. Rejoice in the positive things. And pray without end.
Our spiritual journey can be filled with peace of heart. Enjoy
What do you do when you travel?
I read when I travel.
ReplyDeletemauback55 at gmail dot com
One of the best activities I thinki, Melanie! I'm such a sucker for watching the scenery I do find it hard at times to stay w/a novel, but both are great traveling activities! :)
DeleteIt depends on the mode of travel - on a plane I read, in the car I sing. And in a carryover from my growing up years "collect" license plates - seeing how many different ones I can see over the course of the trip.
ReplyDeleteLol. We've played that game too, Linda, with the boys! And the one about guessing how long it would take to get to the next hilltop. Alphabet game too! Love it.
DeleteGoods morning, I love road trips. As a child my mom, dad, brother, and I used to take "rides". Instead of the movies or a restaurant, we would pack snacks and take a car trip on the back roads. I just loved it, and still do. :)
ReplyDeleteLove it. That brought memories that you'll cherish forever, Michele! Much better than the movies or a restaurant do. Most times anyway. :) Nice.
DeleteBeing an avid traveler, I love this article. I usually read and watch the scenery when I travel although, sometimes I'll work on the computer in the back seat.
ReplyDeleteI love road trips, but solo most of the time. So driving = prayer time and work on my book time. :-) Great post...makes me excited aobut hitting the road again Wednesday!
ReplyDeleteI love road trips!! Talking, laughing, playing games, and singing are just a few of the things we enjoy when we hit the road.
ReplyDeletetexaggs2000 at gmail dot com
My husband is a teacher so we have plenty of time in the summer to take a long road trip and discover parts of the country we've never seen. He has a National Parks Passport book so we always try to visit as many parks, monuments, and historic sites as we can along the way. We like to download some comedian tracks (our favorites are Bill Engvall, Brian Reegan and Jim Gaffigan) and of course I have my Kindle loaded with tons of e-books to read! :)
ReplyDelete