A Reflection in “Flyover Country”




Road trips are wonderful for the soul. In retirement I’ve taken lots more journeys on the road than by  plane.  Airports can be crowded with people and stuff that is anything but relaxing. All the reservations and preparations and security precautions get in the way of appreciating  the serendipitous nature of travel. That said, the common view is that the LAST place one should drive through is the American Midwest.

Conventional wisdom says this ”Flyover Country” is boring, flat, conservative, and sorely lacking in interesting people or places…thus the smart traveler flys over this area.

This month, I headed out on the road from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Boulder Colorado (from one bubble to another).

After a pleasant stay in a motel near Oglesbee Illinois I stopped at the local Mc Donald’s for a couple of senior coffees.(We’ve discovered Mickey D’s coffee far surpasses Comfort Inn Java!).  While waiting in line for my coffee (I did NOT use the apps or kiosk, thank you very much) a fella shouted across the room to me, “Wanna join us? This guy’s leaving.”   A group of four locals in their ‘70’s was gathered around for their likely daily morning session of news, gossip, fish stories , and assorted bullshit .

I was stunned.  Had Cathe not been waiting in the car for coffee, I would have joined them.  I responded that I’d love to sit down in their circle but had a beautiful lady in the car that I was taking to Boulder. I  returned to  the car and drove by the widow and pointed out my lovely wife to this crew. They gave  Cathe  and me the “thumbs up” and sent us on our way west toward  Iowa’s rolling hill country.

That little human encounter made my day.  

This man’s sincere invitation to me(a complete stranger) floored me.

Amid all the media hype about divisions in our country it was refreshing to meet these men in their home territory  and “Have a moment.”

A moment of  connection.

A moment of common purpose.

A moment of frivolity.

A moment of unity.

We all could benefit from moments of  conversation in “Flyover Country.”

Comments

  1. Mark NotmanApril 30, 2023 at 8:15 AM

    You're a lucky man!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Craig B.April 30, 2023 at 5:33 PM

    BoomerGuy hears, "Wanna join us?" and it's a "moment" for him. It's a lesson for the rest of us to listen for invitations. They're always nearby. Some that we can accept might become transforming. We can extend invitations, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMay 2, 2023 at 4:39 PM

      Great Story! Look forward on seeing you on your next roundtrip to California! Michael

      Delete

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