Today, for once, I didn't get lost one time....at least on the journey getting here from Richmond, Indiana early this morning. I couldn't believe it but it was true, yet I have to admit that had I not been such a "lucky guesser" on three different occasions, my story would be different. I had no vehicle trouble, never ran out of gas, no flat tires, and for the second day in a row, I didn't get tired along the way. I do not know what is up with that. And equal surprising is the fact that so far, I haven't misplaced my glasses, cell phone, car keys, or wallet and given my current "track record" for losing things at home, that's got to be some kind of miracle. I just keep plugging away, putting one mile and then another behind me as I make my way towards Maine come tomorrow morning.
Ahem, and now for the "not so good" and friends, there was plenty of THAT to go around this morning. I started out bright and early, I mean really bright and early at 4:30 a.m. I wanted to get well down the road before the sun came up and every other person would decide to join me on the interstate. My GPS system gave me some issues mostly because in my haste to get out of the motel and on the road, I hadn't taken the time to get it properly inserted on its charging cradle. So I hadn't even made it 300 yards away when it just fell to the floor. "Old lefty" was having a little trouble with its part of the two- handed affair it takes to put the charger on the GPS. I was struggling for the better part of 10 minutes just trying to get the dumb thing put together and I was getting more frustrated by the moment.
Finally I said, "Come ON "old lefty" cause you can do this!" And I had no sooner said it than it slid right on, just like it was supposed to. With a smile on my face, I was off down the interstate. The morning flew by quickly as I left Indiana and entered in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. All was well and I felt confident I'd make it here by 3 p.m. Then the rain came.
By 11, while I was still in the farthest part of Ohio, the dark skies just opened up and the heavens let all of the rain in them fall to the earth. It didn't just sprinkle, it poured! It poured so heavy that at times I couldn't even see 10 feet in front of the car. I just did my best to keep on the road. For the better part of an hour it was a continuous rain. And then the hail came. And not just one round of it, but 3 in all by the time it stopped. By shortly after 12:30 and I had entered into New York, it was apparent that the weather was going to get worse instead of better. Several times I pulled off to the shoulder to wait it out. I didn't know what else to do. If I stayed on the road, I was afraid of hitting someone or having someone not see me and get hit. If I left the road and stayed on the shoulder, someone could also not see me there and hit me. It was a horrible and unrelenting rain. The thunder and lightening were everywhere and to me, it sounded so very different than what we hear in Kansas. And speaking of Kansas, there was a time when I wasn't so sure that one of those infamous Kansas tornadoes was going to come over the rows upon rows of trees. And I can guarantee you that I'd be ticked beyond belief if I had come 3/4 of the way to Maine, only to be swallowed up by a twister! LOL Finally the rain stopped about 2 hours ago and the night is cool and clean smelling. But it sure made for a rough 5 hour drive today.
One of the nicest sights to see this day was the sign announcing I'd finally made it to this place in southern New York, a village called Owego. As you can tell by the sign, it's no "spring chicken". Owego is rich in heritage and tradition, a very proud community. I'm so glad to have spent the day here.
I didn't know what to expect when I came here. I knew that a devastating flood had inundated the entire town just last September. I came, fully expecting to see a village still unburying itself from the effects of the early fall natural disaster. I expected that, but was I EVER wrong. This community is ALIVE and WELL with people who truly want things to just get back to normal. The businesses are open and thriving and quite honestly I think it's one of the most well-kept towns that I've ever been to. People take pride in themselves and each other here and it shows from the moment you enter town on the Susquehanna Bridge. As I looked into the water of the Susquehanna River today, it seemed so amazing that it could rise and wreak as much havoc as it did, now 9 months ago. Today it was just its usual normal self, flowing peacefully through the middle of Owego.
I did some exploring on foot, even in the sprinkles of rain, to see what the neighborhood where I was staying was like. Beautiful trees, flowers, everything is green! We'd love this much green in Kansas :) I didn't encounter one unfriendly person and several times, people went out of their way to help me. They could tell by my Kansas tags that I was an "out of towner" and they had pity on me the way the good folks from New York do. I am far from home but for today, I didn't feel so alone.
And less I be remiss, may I please tell you about something I came across today, where I was LEAST expecting to. There is a beautiful church on the corner about 4 blocks from where I am staying tonight. Don't know how old it is but it looks so very stately, yet welcoming, to people who might be passing by it. As I walked up the slight rise in the lawn and headed towards the church's stone sign, there I saw it. It was a small, engraved plaque, dedicated to a church member who had passed away. And the short message that was on it really touched me and if I tell you about it, perhaps you will see yourself in this story too.
The plaque was dedicated to the memory and in remembrance of a young man named Stuart. He died in his 20th year and the words that were written there were short and simple~a living testament to the people who loved him that were left behind. I noticed that he was born in 1953, just two years before me. I was a high school graduate the year he passed away. And as I read the inscription once more, it made me think of who this young man might have grown to be. He was someone's son, a brother, and a grandson, someone's very best friend. Stuart was important in this life, his existence however short on earth, counted for something. That something was very special. People ought to remember that.
I am blessed to be celebrating my 57th birthday in October. Yet, I keep bemoaning the fact that my hair is turning gray, my wrinkles become more noticeable, and my body is developing aches and pains in new places each and every day. Yet, seeing the small plaque today was a sobering reminder of how all of our days are numbered and we don't know how many we have. I thank God for letting me find it today and for stopping to pause along life's way this wonderful Tuesday in late May, to learn about a young man named Stuart. Our wrinkles and gray hair are gifts folks....awarded to those who pass through the long years of this life. If you have them, you are blessed. Don't be forgetting that!
Well, I have got to get to bed. I'm leaving early, 4:30 early to head to Portland, Maine. By my calculations, I'm 75% of the way there friends! The last 460 miles will be from Owego. I'm excited and a little nervous about finishing the journey. I may have to cry when I see my lighthouse but hey, that's ok too. I'll let you know when I arrive. Don't worry about me because I feel fine and am confident I can make it. It's ok!
Oh, one last thing folks....How many times can you listen to the song "Chevy Van" on a CD in your car? As many times as you like! And that's all right by me!
Good night from Owego my friends and family,
Love to each of you~Peggy
Flat Kimberly and I this evening at the Coburn Free Library on Main Street in Owego! That place had the great smell of "good" books about it.
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