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Share this page with a friend. Click file, then send. The Wonder of it All  It was May 5, 2000; another one of
those doomsday dates when the planets were due to align and produce
cataclysmic destruction that would end the world. Four years had
passed since my husband, Grandpa
Davey, had taken me on an adventure to discover the West. That
had been my first trip west and I often bragged about the awesome
experience. Having been enlightened to its treasures, I naturally
wanted to share this knowledge with my children. So, when my eldest
son decided to take advantage of a job opportunity in the Pacific
Northwest, I was delighted. He decided to travel by train on the
Sunset Limited which would take him west across the vastness of the
desert and then north on the Coast Starlight passing through the
Cascades. Any thoughts of doomsday were over shadowed by my
excitement for him. He now had the chance to discover some of the
places that I had raved about. The wait at the Union Passenger
Terminal in New Orleans was long as the train was delayed, so Amtrak
pacified us with complimentary soft drinks and snacks. Late that
afternoon, he boarded the train. David,
M & E, and I waved good bye.
He was 26 years old and my heart ached as if it were the first day
of Kindergarten. After arriving at his destination, he called me. He had taken a bus trip up the side of the mountain with a group of tourists who ooed and aahed at the extraordinary sights and smells along the way. Giant evergreens emanated the fresh scent of pine and snow towered alongside the road, perhaps 6 to 8 ft. high. He sounded different somehow. He was open and beginning to sense what is often difficult to verbally express. Hearing enthusiasm and wonder in his voice, I felt satisfied. Yes, I feel like I belong out west, so if I can share a little bit of that wonder with my kids, I'm happy. For years, I would sign my emails and letters with this....See ya out west somewhere! ©04/16/09 |
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