The Road
Home….
Several times each year we take a few days,
pack up the car and get away. That was the case recently, enjoying the quiet
and seclusion of the mountains and the calming waves slapping against the rocks
on the shore of the lake. And despite a bit of unusual weather for this part of
the country, the time away provided a break from the customary daily life and
routines. But the week soon ended and it was time to hit the road and return
home.
With the car loaded and after turning in the
key to the cabin we headed down the mountain for the trip home.
The rain had started about an hour before
our departure and by the time we pulled out of the driveway, the rain had reached
a downpour stage. Cautiously moving down the highway, the windshield wipers
struggled to keep up with the pace of the rain to the point where, for a few
minutes, it was safter to pull off the roadway and allow the storm to pass. We stopped
at Smalls Falls. After about fifteen minutes the rain stopped and the journey
continued.
The trip down the once familiar road seemed
a bit different this year and did not reflect what I had once remembered. There seemed to be more vacant homes and
buildings and fewer people out and about. And many of those places along the
roadway needed repair and maintenance. And as we approached the several small
communities between home and away, they did not exhibit the enthusiasm and
activity that I remembered. The past few years have seemed like some challenging
times and from my perspective as a Boomer the current state of affairs and life
and society we have evolved into is having a very difficult time on, not only
my generation, but the younger generations as well.
Looking back on what I am able to remember today,
growing up in the 60’s as a Boomer was filled with it’s own governmental,
societal and world challenges. Many of us were born into families whose parents
and grandparents had fought in several world wars in defense of democracy and a
free society. But little did we know as young adults at the time the society
was not as free as we had thought or had been taught and as we lived through the
times, we struggled to insure the American freedom we had hoped to achieve. After
all, we had been part of several world conflicts ourselves, fighting to make
the world a safe place for everyone.
But even as Boomers, out to make the world a
better place to live, we were and to this day still are involved in wars and
conflicts around the world, a world where dictators and societies fight to demonstrate
their ability to prove that they may one day will rule the planet, where women
are still forced to cover themselves from head to toe and may not attend school.
We are part of a world where countries and some world leaders continue to
threaten those they attempt to control with weapons and other medieval methods
like destroying food sources and controlling population growth.
All of this behavior, the news broadcasts on
an hourly basis, the rising cost to put food on the table, put gasoline in your
car, or send you children and grandchildren to school is having a real effect
upon everyone and our attitudes.
And as a Boomer, I really do feel that we
took some wrong paths down the road as we grew, with a leadership model lacking
a strong focus and commitment, a commitment where often more emphasis was
placed richness, rewards, and being competitive rather that learning how to
grow and work together.
And if you think that the recent heat and
weather conditions are only temporary and will go away in a couple of years,
you may want to sit back and listen to Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A Changing”
song, because they are and right now, it’s going to be even more challenging.
I worry about the world my children and grandchildren
will grow up in as should every Boomer. What will it be like living in a world
where the average daily temperature exceeds 100 degrees per day or the waters
from the Atlantic Ocean lap at the Ohio state line at high tide.
Now you are probably grumbling and saying….”
What’s wrong with this guy? Has he lost it? He once promised he would not go
political in his columns. And what does this have to do with the road home.”
My point is quite simple. Coming down the
mountain and heading home reminded me how quickly things can change. With time
and taking an honest look around we allow ourselves to view things a bit
differently. As Boomers, we may have made some mistakes, done some things that
we would like to take back. But it’s not too late. Many of us are still here,
and our life experiences can help navigate a more successful future for those
who will follow us and take our place.
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