Wednesday, April 14, 2010

slow down-take it easy

Good morning.

I recently returned from visiting Illinois for a couple of weeks.  My friends and family joyously treated and greeted me with love, it was so good to see that all were well, including Grandma.  My daughters put up with me and I in return for their hospitality- cooked and cleaned and tried to make sure they were fed some of the good meals they love.  Within a couple of days though, it became apparent to me that their lives were best led by them, their nutritional needs were no longer any of my business and their casa was my casa as long as I respected their authority.  My oh my, how the tables have turned.  My Mathew was genuinely happy to have me around, visiting and talking as we have never done before.  I try to follow his personal philosophy, but the young man is a bit deeper than I can follow at times.  Our conversations were rich and I grew happier inside each time we were together, thinking how interesting his concepts- he really gave me food for thought and I long for and love those talks.   I tried to put myself in the younger sects shoes and realized honestly, I did not have that much going on upstairs at their age.   But from where I sit now, after years of experience and misadventures, I could teach them a thing or two- though it is their own drum they hear now, and the beat is foreign to me.  Generation gap indeed.  (Their jokes are not funny to me, the movies they find fascinating leave me scratching my head and yawning.  And the music..."It's not that I'm old, your music really does suck."   My favorite bumper sticker, long past it's sticky prime- wish I could find another and paste it for all the world to see.) ***with the exception of Bon Iver, I must say there is something about the music that gets under your skin and seeps even deeper...I like it, I like it.
Traveling from Maine to Illinois takes a bit of caffeine, good tunes and a willingness to put up with certain states with their certain drivers and wonder if the genes of conscientiousness and consideration were perhaps left in a corner behind a door by the creator.   In all the times I've traveled through Massachusetts,   I have yet to meet  many* who smile easily.  And when it comes to traffic pile ups and getting over or moving aside so another car can fit in- in my own personal experiences, I can't help but wonder if that smile might surface if only your car would crash and burn, bringing a dark joy to the seemingly joyless.   *I will say, one lovely toll booth operator towards the end of my Mass Pike experience  came out of his shack, smiling and talking all the while- and replaced my gas cap as I must have half hazardously twisted it on at the previous gas stop.   He must have thought I was a mute, all I could do was stare at him with great wonder, finally offering-"I do not mean to offend, but you are very kind.  I don't find that much in these parts."  He laughed and said people say that all the time, matter of fact- he said he was the only one good egg for hundreds of miles.  Then he called me sweetie and wished me well.  Angels among us folks, angels among us.
Truck drivers are the travel agents from heaven.  Need a new route?  Wonder what's up ahead worth getting off the main drag to see?  Ask a truck driver.  Not only will they tell you, they'll make you get your Atlas out while they scratch your dog's ears, help you flip to the right page and hold the page down in wind gusts while tracing with their fingers the most beautiful of drives.  And the restaurants they prescribe are always spot on.  And on top of all of that- should they see you trapped behind slow drivers in fast lanes, they'll set a pick and let you pass.   Truck drivers, good eggs.

One last traveling remark...route 20, Chautauqua County Western New York.  Go.  Truck driver recommended & true wonder approved.  A beautiful reprieve from the turnpike, a blood pressure decrease r, an anxiety elixir, wine country and farms galore, unforgettable landscapes, slow lane, waitresses that call you "hon", ooohhhh I love that!

(I considered letting this blog go to wherever blogs go  after their long run...but, I'm gonna hang in there.  My thoughts tend to be a bit on the loner- looking through the big picture- wondering inside of wonder- life in the slow down- take it easy lane.  If I can but somehow compile that into interesting enough stuff, not to entertain but to inform, not to say this is how one should live, but to say truly- this is how I get by.  I for one do not like to be told how to think, how to live and I do not aim to steer you dear reader, onto a road that was not meant for anyone to travel but me.  I will continue to encourage all to be kinder than necessary, to seek to understand and by all means- seek out the friends and strangers among you that have not only their best interests at heart, but everyone's- for the sake of a common good.  I will continue to sing the praises of sustainable living, local eating, and a  back roads philosophy  If you can stand more of that kind of perspective,  please come and visit- you're always welcome.)

Take care-

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank goodness the blog is back :) I hate it that I didn't get a chance to come up while you were here!!

Love, Rhi

ConsciouslyFrugal said...

Bon Iver! Oh, and you must, must, must listen to a little Gregory Alan Isakov. His latest album, "This Empty Northern Hemisphere" will make your heart melt. His website will actually let you listen to each song. 'Tis lovely.

The rudest drivers I've ever met are in Southern CA. Not just rude--angry. Freakish rage. Just goes to show ya--walking ain't such a bad thing. :)

truewonder said...

Rhi, I didn't have much of a chance to see everyone either, don't worry- are you hanging in there Kid?!

From the Gold Coast to the Bold Coast- drivers from hell!

And I will take a listen, always open to new tunes...take care

troutbirder said...

Oh my I'm so glad to see you've decided to continue this blog. I so much like your "attitude." Having just returned from son's family in Colorado, I sure can relate.... and your right that generations "music" does suck! And the movies...

Anonymous said...

I'm survivin' and thrivin' haha. Things are going very well. Not one bit nervous about the wedding, just moving. Shane's getting his house ready though. We're working on redoing his bathroom now. I think Emma and I are meeting for lunch tomorrow since she's working in Mattoon! I'm so stinking excited!!!

Love, Rhi

Anonymous said...

No wonder you weren't blogging - you were right down the road from us. Glad you had a wonderful visit. We miss you here and missed you on the blog. Keep it up - share what it's like to live in Maine for us farmers that are "grounded" forever here in IL. Hope you were here to catch all of the blooms: tulips, crabapples, bluebells, daffodils. It has been absolutely beautiful here lately. We have 3/4 of our corn in the ground and now need a bit of rain for a good seed bed for the last of it. Corn is just starting to spike. And to think last year we were just starting to plant. It's been a busy but good week. Take care! Kathy K

Jayne said...

Oh, I don't know... I sort of like feeling really smug about the fact that as they age, they'll also think their "music" sucked. Tee hee hee. Glad you survived the ride and that you will stick around. I love your musings my friend. :c)

Robin said...

I'm glad you didn't let the blog go. I do enjoy your writing.

Anonymous said...

I confess I hadn't looked for awhile, but I'm thrilled to see that you're still here and that you're still up to your elbows in the earth. I love the way you write and you always give me food for thought. Wishing you the best! ~kathryn

truewonder said...

Thank you much...I started feeling I had nothing truly worthwhile to write about, but the trip back home helped me settle after seeing and believing that all was well.
And shame on me for not visiting troutbirder and Frugal and Jayne's master blogs...food for thought.
And K- what a beautiful description from a real farm lady. Take care-