Why I go?

One of the greatest joys in doing any roadtrip is finding the unkown.  In these days of travel planners, GPS, smart phones, and information technology to describe every move you should take on your way from here to there, I suppose it makes me quite the dinosaur to pull out my Rand McNally Road Atlas, find the State of My choosing and pick the route that would seem to offer the greatest chance of finding something... A waterfall, a diner, an old firehouse, or just a small town that reminds of someplace I may have only been in my mind. 

These journeys are my greatest therapy and on their paths are often found my greatest moments.  It was standing on the Blue Ridge Parkway outside of Lexington Virginia, watching a morning sun spill over the endless orange and red and yellow and gold of fall that I began again to believe in something greater than me.  It was on a road outside of Ithaca where I relived the scene from Pleasantville that I have always loved-- of them driving the old car through a brilliant cascade of leaves with the distant sound of falling water providing the soundtrack. 

There have been so many other experiences, other places and other times.  Where it feels as though James Earl Jones from Field Of Dreams should be perched on my shoulder in miniature offering a commentary for the moment.  The oddest thing is when I describe these days and people sometimes shrug and say, "But how can you do all that stuff alone?"  I have to smile for it is on these trips that I am farthest from alone-- for it is on these trips that I am myself

A Trip to Canada

As the sunburn as finally healed, I figured it time to share some photos from my first every trip to a Canadian Airshow.  It was educational (the UV index can go to 11? who knew?) and, overall, a great time.  I will certainly be making the trip next year-- hopefully I can find a few people to tag along.  The aircraft featured included numerous flying WWII birds, such as a P51, P40, Spitfire, Hurricane, and FireFly.  The fact the show was in the midst of Hamilton's Airport, home to DC10s, B727s, and other classics, just made it even better. 

Reading PA, WWII Weekend

An excellent day trip last weekend to the WWII Weekend at Reading, PA.  Next year I will be going a day early to catch the entire show.  Despite some bad weather, it was still a great time-- including my first encounter with a B-29 and a B-17. 

B17 after landing

B29 on the Taxi

P47 with "pin-up" girl

Yes its been awhile

With the onset of early summer heat, a bit of stress at work, my never ending efforts at something that people sometimes call dating, and writer's block-- well, its been awhile. My sincere apologies.  

I wanted to say congrats to my sister on getting to the six month mark of her pregnancy.  Little Emma is beginning the kicking stuff, which willl likely continue until on or about her 23rd birthday-- I think that's when my sister stopped, so I guess that is as good a guide as any other. 

Equally as important, Father's Day is fast approaching.  The dreaded Father's Day Card hunt this year was far more successful than years past, it only took one rack at one store.  How do you ever sum up how much a father means in one piece of card stock, folded, stamped, and sent out at predetermined times?  How is it even possible to conceive of all that has happened, all the fun, the sadness, the hugs, the arguments, and the misunderstandings, and the money and the disappointments and the successes-- all of that history wrapped into something some simple as a card.  Its those memories I think that collapse on my shoulders as soon as I see those italic dates on the calender. 

I saw an amazing film the other day called the Beginners.  Featuring Ewan McGregor (now part of two father related movies that make me sob, Big Fish being the other) and Christopher Plummer, I am still trying to full figure it out.  But without giving away too much, its a cautious tale of learning to accept that which we can not change, the power of living your true life, and our ability to mess up even simple things when we  let too much of our brain get in the way. Its themes matched well with a book given to me by a friend that speaks to Awareness, and of how simple things are when we are children-- and how much of life's success as we get older is not about remembering-- but about forgetting.  All that crap that fills up the space between our ears and distracts us from what's real-- and has value. 

Whether in a book, or a movie-- its a wonderful reminder, if you let it be, that these Hallmark Holidays can serve a purpose beyond torture in the greeting card aisle.  They can be a reminder that our family-- our friends-- ourselves-- are what remain when we shed all that comes before.  The memories are great, but they would be nothing without the people.  Thank you Dad for all those memories-- and for being someone who always taught me to be me.  For that is the greatest gift of all.  Even though I could not find a card to say it.