His job has him on the road five days per week making deliveries throughout our region. We might think he is seeing the same thing as he drives each subsequent week but that would be wrong.He is so observant he notices things other travelers make drive right on past but when he spots something special-wildlife or interesting vegetation--he pulls over to capture a picture. With a chuckle he will speak about all the shots he missed but the pictures he does get are quite amazing. Perhaps there are many who see what is beyond the highway but I can't count myself amongst those numbers. The goal is to get where I am going, concerned primarily with road conditions and traffic.
There was a time when a Sunday drive was an anticipated weekend activity. Load up the family, choose a road and just drive. For pleasure. No destination. No rush. It was about getting out to see what there was to see; a chance to discover someplace new or take note of changes occurring to what was familiar.
We can quite easily and with a fair degree of convenience travel to just about any destination of choice on the globe. We enjoy exotic locales, retrace historical paths, take pictures in front of famous landmarks, and are ushered into cathedrals, castles and coliseums. Yet equally splendid sights just might be waiting right down the road. No visitor visa required, no currency exchanges needed.
A Sunday drive in the prairie countryside can reveal the remarkable cycle of growth we see in crops; from the blackness of the soil, to the emergence of shoots of green that then give way to fully grown crops that burst with ripeness, it is a window into the wondrous potential that comes from the seed and soil and the ingenuity and hard work of the farmer. For those of us not directly involved or perhaps for those that can use the reminder, a Sunday drive can open our eyes to the marvel of the earth and all its potential.
A Sunday drive with no destination in mind can uncover back roads leading to still waters or picturesque picnic spots, perhaps places so inviting it demands a promise to return and stay longer.
A Sunday drive can take us past abandoned buildings and forgotten structures; places that spark our imagination and make us wish to hear its many stories. Where are the children who were raised in that house? Why did that school close? How many championship ball games were played on that diamond?
A Sunday drive gives us a window of speculation about the past, an appreciation of the present, and a glimpse into the potential of the future. It's a chance to leave the routine behind, clear our heads and shift our gaze to what is too often overlooked but exists just past our neighborhoods.
Sunday drives have to a large degree fallen by the wayside. Rising gas prices in the 1980s deterred people from pleasure trips, and a different mindset toward activities planned for a Sunday have resulted in a decline in this practice. We feel we need to have a purpose--a destination--when we get behind the wheel.
Perhaps there is no better purpose than loading up the family, sharing some treats, and letting conversation unfold as the horizon opens up. Summer is a great time to consider putting the key in the ignition, our imagination in gear, and an adventurous spirit in drive. No passports to process, no itineraries to follow. With an unhurried spirit, eyes eager to scan the panorama and an ice cream cone in hand the adventures beyond our doorstep await. That's my outlook.
