Lorain, OH, to Mifflintown, PA
8:30a-3:45p; 318 miles
I was on the road by 8:30a – not a bad start – and had many hours to think and meditate. The few radio stations that exist along Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania are not able to broadcast past the mountain ranges. So I had time to reflect on my trip.
Connections. That is what I should have titled this trip. The first part of this trip I will connect with friends, family and relatives; on the second part of the trip I will connect with nature. Connections to people, places and the past are important because those connections give us a sense of continuity and purpose. They provide reference points, or anchors, for our journey through the random twists and turns of life. As I grow older, those connections become more important. Perhaps it is because with age the tenuous and transitory nature of life becomes more apparent.
Around mid-day I decided to go off the interstate and travel more local roads. It was here I made another connection. I believe the geographic imprint from our early years stays with us throughout life. That imprint can be positive or negative, and in my case the imprint was very positive. I grew up in the mountains and hills of Pennsylvania; I have very fond memories of many hours spent in the woods. As I wound through the mountain passes in central PA, I felt sheltered by the protective womb of trees, streams and hillsides. I’ve lived in the Midwest for over 20 years and, at times, still feel naked and exposed in the wide open spaces. But today, I was back in familiar surroundings, nestling in the geographic imprint that was formed many years ago.
I’m spending the night with my mother’s sister, Viola Lauver, and my cousin Gary. More connections, more good conversation, more time to appreciate life. Left to right in the picture are Huynh (my sister-in-law), aunt Viola Lauver, cousin Gary Lauver, and me.
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