Road Trip Observations

[charlestudor2005]

Originally Posted by JadeNow

Go to the Rockies, see the Fall leaves! It's breathtaking!

Luv Fall Foliage. Grew up in the Midwest where Fall was luscious and long. It is my favorite season!!! And the smells, ah, the smells. From the crisp leaves and mornings to the smell of burning leaves. You can't beat it.

I live in the South now. I miss the Fall because it doesn't exist where I live. Occasionally, like now, I'm lucky to be traveling in the North during Fall.

[nevergaveitathought]

Originally Posted by ClairJordan

I love road trips. Whenever I need to clear my head and really think things through I take to the road. ........Playing your favorite songs over and again, because no one is there to tell you not to.

i do too...love driving with no real plans....

my dog and i maybe...heading up the hill country throught the canyons and oak trees ...over the edwards plateau....then descending down into the semi desert of west texas....the herds of antelope..the sage and old forts...comanche springs..only the comanche knew where the water was and the rangers had to turn back for lack of water

stopping at balmorhea and swimming in that wonderful pool...heading into ft davis where the buffalo soldiers were stationed...staying at the limpia hotel...taking a claw foot tub bath...up into the mountains to the mcdonald observatory at night...cold and brisk..my little dog drover inside my coat. a learned astronomer comes outside with a powerful flashlight...it seems as if the beam of that light hits anything in the sky he is talking about...you see the great white road of the milky way..the constellations and stars and planets...it is wonderful and scary and beautiful

music..none most of you would know...cowboy music..not country...but western..perhaps rex allen...songs of yesterday..and life in the west...pioneers...rex singing "the last round-up" or "rocky mountain lullabye"..where mountains kiss the soft blue sky..and you see the truth of the song as you look out your car's windshield... but most of all you feel it...and yeah you sing along ...but you cant sing it like he does...

into arizona..the red rocks and the sky...you stop and take your dog and walk into the desert..perhaps a mile or more..looking at the stark beauty and feeling the heat....

and you forget troubles for a bit...instead you are filled with wonder and a subconscious feeling of the specialness of this thing we call life and yes, also a melancholiness descends but you shake it off..and move along..because you have always moved along.

[ClairJordan]

Favorite melancholy road trip music; Nebraska, The Boss.

That feeling of being totally disengaged, with no one knowing where you are.

Who said "I sure hope the road don't come to own me" ??

[ClairJordan]

Luv Fall Foliage. Grew up in the Midwest where Fall was luscious and long. It is my favorite season!!! And the smells, ah, the smells. From the crisp leaves and mornings to the smell of burning leaves. You can't beat it.

Charles, if you email me at my regular email addy I will send you some New England foliage photos. courtingclair@hotmail.com

We had a lovely season although it has peaked already. The leaves have turned that russett color which indicates they are about to drop. A good n'or easter and the trees are bare.
Leaving...winter! Drinks by the fire, long snowy days holed up with a good book. You can sleep in and not feel like you are missing anything. Snowshoe-ing on Saturday mornings with the dog.

[davec.0121]

Yeah, I love road trips, too. I drove up to my college reunion in Virginia and saw some family in Atlanta last April and it was a great trip. It's really beautiful through the South that time of year, especially up in the mountains (well, the Appalachians) and in the Valley of Virginia. All the trees are putting out their new leaves and blossoms, there's a lot of greenery, and the light isn't summertime harsh. And, it's early enough that the roads aren't too crowded since I like to get off the Interstates and take the back roads sometimes if there's something interesting ("See Rock City"). Road trips give you time away from people just think and listen to whatever you want. And the chance to really crank it up in places. Sometimes I'll go to San Antonio or Austin for the day, just to get out.

Back to Olivia's original comment: in addition to more hitchhikers, another thing I've been noticing is a lot more families on the move. Sometimes they're in UHauls, but a lot of times they're crammed into vans or pickups. And not just young couples -- there are a lot of kids, too. It's seriously beginning to remind me of 'The Grapes of Wrath.'

[pjorourke]

Hope & Change!

[atlcomedy]

I don't know if this is honorable or bad parenting. I'm kind of conflicted. But first my tale:

I'm up early Friday, say 4am, getting ready for my day (showering, dressing, etc.) & as always listening to the radio. The host is doing some kind of contest. Call in, answer a question correctly & win a prize. Well, on the line is a 10 year old kid.

The sharp host takes a minute to ask the kid a couple of questions. How old are you? What the heck are you doing up a 4am? etc. etc.

Turns out he was ten and his Dad drives a bread (bakery) truck and he gets up at 3am every morning, "helps" his Dad until his Dad drops him off at school at 8am. The kid seemed happy. He did miss the trivia question and didn't get his prize.

That said, I was conflicted. On one hand I'm thinking here is this father taking reposnibility for his family, working a rough job, putting bread on the table by any means possible. On the other, as the show's host pointed out, what the hell is this kid doing up at 3am every morning? Maybe I should call child services? What kind of childhood is that? I think these are some of the things that go on but we don't always see.

Then again I think back to stories about my Grandfather's youth...living on a farm...doing chores before school...

WHo knows

[Camille]

Originally Posted by atlcomedy

That said, I was conflicted. On one hand I'm thinking here is this father taking reposnibility for his family, working a rough job, putting bread on the table by any means possible. On the other, as the show's host pointed out, what the hell is this kid doing up at 3am every morning? Maybe I should call child services? What kind of childhood is that? I think these are some of the things that go on but we don't always see.

Then again I think back to stories about my Grandfather's youth...living on a farm...doing chores before school...

WHo knows

I think a lot of people would feel conflicted without knowing more. It's a bit of a catch 22...if I take action and there was none necessary, it could be potentially disastrous. If I don't and it was needed, it could also be potentially diastrous. Tough call really...I see the conflict.

C x

[atlcomedy]

Originally Posted by Camille

I think a lot of people would feel conflicted without knowing more. It's a bit of a catch 22...if I take action and there was none necessary, it could be potentially disastrous. If I don't and it was needed, it could also be potentially diastrous. Tough call really...I see the conflict.

C x

To be clear I'm not suggesting I'd really call child services, etc. based upon one minute that a kid spent on the radio. I certainly don't know the context or the whole story.

I do know waking up at 3am everyday isn't healthy for a 10 year old on the otherhand I don't know that the alternative is better. There isn't exactly stellar market for babysitters at that hour....

[Camille]

I misunderstood who was saying what. I understood that you were conflicted, but I thought it was the radio host that was asking himself if he should call child services. Made more sense since he was sort of directly linked and maybe felt obligated. Either way, the childs reasons for being up at 3am are...well...conflicting. On that I agree with you, or the radio host or whoever felt the same.

C x

[Guest083011]

Originally Posted by atlcomedy

I do know waking up at 3am everyday isn't healthy for a 10 year old

It's not so great for adults either.

[pjorourke]

Originally Posted by atlcomedy

I do know waking up at 3am everyday isn't healthy for a 10 year old on the otherhand I don't know that the alternative is better. There isn't exactly stellar market for babysitters at that hour....

Doesn't that depend on what time he gets to bed? If its 7pm, he is getting 8 hours sleep. Nothing wrong with that.

I think its great that the father and son get to spend that time together every day.

[nevergaveitathought]

Originally Posted by atlcomedy

I don't know if this is honorable or bad parenting. I'm kind of conflicted. But first my tale:

I'm up early Friday, say 4am, getting ready for my day (showering, dressing, etc.) & as always listening to the radio. The host is doing some kind of contest. Call in, answer a question correctly & win a prize. Well, on the line is a 10 year old kid.

The sharp host takes a minute to ask the kid a couple of questions. How old are you? What the heck are you doing up a 4am? etc. etc.

Turns out he was ten and his Dad drives a bread (bakery) truck and he gets up at 3am every morning, "helps" his Dad until his Dad drops him off at school at 8am. The kid seemed happy. He did miss the trivia question and didn't get his prize.

That said, I was conflicted. On one hand I'm thinking here is this father taking reposnibility for his family, working a rough job, putting bread on the table by any means possible. On the other, as the show's host pointed out, what the hell is this kid doing up at 3am every morning? Maybe I should call child services? What kind of childhood is that? I think these are some of the things that go on but we don't always see.

Then again I think back to stories about my Grandfather's youth...living on a farm...doing chores before school...

WHo knows

i think its probably very good parenting....all things being equal.

if there is any indication of abuse thats one thing...but without any hint of that its great bonding with the son and father and lessons about the real world for the son.

i hope the dad can keep it up when the son reaches early high school age and begins to think his dad is embarassing and his friends are where its at.

i lived as a kid for 9 years at a place where we got up at 4 am every morning 365 days a year until i graduated from high school. we all had jobs and we hit the ground running, before school, after school and on weekends and in the summer. dont want to go into it all, and unless you had been there you wouldnt understand anyway but we put up with abuse, i dont think this is.

when i was an older boy i sometimes had the job of giving the little kids burr haircuts. we had a two chair barbershop and this man would chop the hell out of the older kids hair (we all hated those hair cuts) while i gave the little ones a burr. i gave this one kid a haircut, and if he had one scar on his head he had 50, all little half moon looking undoctored healed over scars, revealed by the burr haircut, he was maybe 7 or 8. i said, "michael, what happened?" he said his father..who worked at a body shop, would take him to the body shop when he was 4 and 5 years old. the dad would tell him to get this part or that tool and the bewildered kid had no clue what to do and in anger the dad would pop him in the head with a wrench or whatever tool was available because he wasnt helping quick enough. the kid forever after was called "bondo" by the rest of the kids.

dont think its anything like that

[atlcomedy]

Originally Posted by pjorourke

Doesn't that depend on what time he gets to bed? If its 7pm, he is getting 8 hours sleep. Nothing wrong with that.

I think its great that the father and son get to spend that time together every day.

How many 10 year olds do you know that follow a strict 7pm bedtime?

Originally Posted by nevergaveitathought

i think its probably very good parenting....all things being equal.

if there is any indication of abuse thats one thing...but without any hint of that its great bonding with the son and father and lessons about the real world for the son.

i hope the dad can keep it up when the son reaches early high school age and begins to think his dad is embarassing and his friends are where its at.

i lived as a kid for 9 years at a place where we got up at 4 am every morning 365 days a year until i graduated from high school......

I don't really think it is abuse...I tend to think it is a (likely single) parent doing whatever is necessary to provide for his family given the circumstances....but it isn't ideal. Kids play with other kids. Join cub scouts, play soccer, take music lessons, etc.

That was kind of my point in sharing the story and the original post with the hitchhikers: There is a lot going on out there and some people have some really tough lives but we don't see it on an everyday basis.

[pjorourke]

Originally Posted by atlcomedy

How many 10 year olds do you know that follow a strict 7pm bedtime?

About as many as have parents who are disciplined enough to get up at 3am to work a job.

Poor little guy is going to miss all all that great TV on at prime time.