We were awake at 8:00 AM New Mexico time, and ready to go, after the usual "Continental Breakfast" at the motel. But it was actually good food, and we set out finally, on the last leg of the drive home.
It was my turn to drive, and I took the helm a little reluctantly because I wanted to be free to take pictures as we drove. Oh well, I had fun by sight-seeing and making my passengers yell in fright! You know, it is a long way from Gallup to Hobbs...something Child A learned the hard way. Apparently he was suffering...let's call it...ill effects from the alcohol consumed the night before. I suspect he had more to drink Wednesday night that probably the remainder of the total of liquor he has imbibed during his majority. We had to stop for several minutes in every town along the way. We had to exceed the speed limit slightly once or twice to get to the next stop! Poor Child B.
Then we reached Roswell. We had time, I thought, to go to the UFO Museum. So we stopped for lunch...oh, and for Child B to have ANOTHER pit stop. This is where things began to get a little dicey. We got lunch okay, but when we went for Dairy Queen treats, it turned out that the ice cream machine was coming and going. Sometimes ice cream would come out, sometimes not, and sometimes it exploded, causing the young ladies behind the counter to screech in fright. Between these ice cream "fits" we finally got our desserts. But, this is not an exaggeration, it took over thirty minutes to get our dessert. I was happy to get the ice cream cone, but the extra long stop bothered me a little, and I decided not to stop at the UFO Museum, a decision I have come to regret. I am not sure when I will get a chance to go to Roswell again.
As we were travelling, I thought about the day - I mean, THE DAY- July 4th, 1776. Everyone knows that is the date that the Colonists declared their independence from England. That was that, right? Not really. The Colonists had been fighting since 1775. The Revolutionary War did not end until 1783. A war that lasted eight years and began to drain the British economy, as well as the will of the British to keep fighting. During this time the British had other troubles in different places around the globe. Eight years of fighting...it almost reminds one of Viet Nam nearly two hundred years later. Finally, not to take credit away from Washington's army, but the British just got tired of fighting, while the people in England just wanted their "boys" to come home. And with the defeat of General Cornwallis, that is exactly what the British did. They left the Americans to themselves, and the rest, as they say, is history.
It had been several years since I had driven any distance on the "4th of July," and I have to say that I enjoyed the drive, not only because we were headed home, but because I saw America celebrating. In every town, without exception, from ghost town to thriving city, American flags were waving proudly, parades were either happening or staging up, and most of all, people filled all the parks and recreational areas. People were cooking hot dogs and barbeque (barbacoa, to be more precise) and having picnics. Finally, in Hobbs fireworks were exploding in the air, the red glare reminding me of that glorious old song, The Star-Spangled Banner. As we left New Mexico and drove into Texas, we saw a huge 4th of July Celebration going on in Andrews. And of course, the same thing was happening in a thousand towns and cities across this great nation.
There is so much wrong with the nation right now, yet there is so much right, as well. The first thing that struck me that was RIGHT with our nation was that the people, all of them - all races, ethnicities, hyphenates, creeds, they were all celebrating freedom...but even more than that...they were celebrating of their own free will! Do you realize how big this is? In many nations, the populace is required to gather on "Independence Day" to honor some dictator, some Fuhrer, some Chairman...and death or some other punishment awaited those who did not participate. Here in the United States of America, in spite of political differences, in spite all that we disagree on, yet we were all celebrating.
I drove the last few miles back to Midland feeling proud - proud of our nation, and proud of those politicians who truly had our best interest in mind, and of those who do now. I am proud of our heroes, both those who lost their lives for us, those who survived and returned to us, and those who yet now defend us and keep us safe so that democracy lives on here in the United States. Unlike our present First Lady, I have been proud to be an American since I was old enough to understand our freedom and our rights. And I will always be so...I just hope and pray that our nation weathers the hard times we are in and comes out even stronger and more freedom-loving than ever. As I pulled into our driveway, I saw nearby sky rockets exploding, red and many other colors flashing in the night, and I was happy to be home, and so blessed that America is my home.
God Bless America!
It was my turn to drive, and I took the helm a little reluctantly because I wanted to be free to take pictures as we drove. Oh well, I had fun by sight-seeing and making my passengers yell in fright! You know, it is a long way from Gallup to Hobbs...something Child A learned the hard way. Apparently he was suffering...let's call it...ill effects from the alcohol consumed the night before. I suspect he had more to drink Wednesday night that probably the remainder of the total of liquor he has imbibed during his majority. We had to stop for several minutes in every town along the way. We had to exceed the speed limit slightly once or twice to get to the next stop! Poor Child B.
Then we reached Roswell. We had time, I thought, to go to the UFO Museum. So we stopped for lunch...oh, and for Child B to have ANOTHER pit stop. This is where things began to get a little dicey. We got lunch okay, but when we went for Dairy Queen treats, it turned out that the ice cream machine was coming and going. Sometimes ice cream would come out, sometimes not, and sometimes it exploded, causing the young ladies behind the counter to screech in fright. Between these ice cream "fits" we finally got our desserts. But, this is not an exaggeration, it took over thirty minutes to get our dessert. I was happy to get the ice cream cone, but the extra long stop bothered me a little, and I decided not to stop at the UFO Museum, a decision I have come to regret. I am not sure when I will get a chance to go to Roswell again.
As we were travelling, I thought about the day - I mean, THE DAY- July 4th, 1776. Everyone knows that is the date that the Colonists declared their independence from England. That was that, right? Not really. The Colonists had been fighting since 1775. The Revolutionary War did not end until 1783. A war that lasted eight years and began to drain the British economy, as well as the will of the British to keep fighting. During this time the British had other troubles in different places around the globe. Eight years of fighting...it almost reminds one of Viet Nam nearly two hundred years later. Finally, not to take credit away from Washington's army, but the British just got tired of fighting, while the people in England just wanted their "boys" to come home. And with the defeat of General Cornwallis, that is exactly what the British did. They left the Americans to themselves, and the rest, as they say, is history.
It had been several years since I had driven any distance on the "4th of July," and I have to say that I enjoyed the drive, not only because we were headed home, but because I saw America celebrating. In every town, without exception, from ghost town to thriving city, American flags were waving proudly, parades were either happening or staging up, and most of all, people filled all the parks and recreational areas. People were cooking hot dogs and barbeque (barbacoa, to be more precise) and having picnics. Finally, in Hobbs fireworks were exploding in the air, the red glare reminding me of that glorious old song, The Star-Spangled Banner. As we left New Mexico and drove into Texas, we saw a huge 4th of July Celebration going on in Andrews. And of course, the same thing was happening in a thousand towns and cities across this great nation.
There is so much wrong with the nation right now, yet there is so much right, as well. The first thing that struck me that was RIGHT with our nation was that the people, all of them - all races, ethnicities, hyphenates, creeds, they were all celebrating freedom...but even more than that...they were celebrating of their own free will! Do you realize how big this is? In many nations, the populace is required to gather on "Independence Day" to honor some dictator, some Fuhrer, some Chairman...and death or some other punishment awaited those who did not participate. Here in the United States of America, in spite of political differences, in spite all that we disagree on, yet we were all celebrating.
I drove the last few miles back to Midland feeling proud - proud of our nation, and proud of those politicians who truly had our best interest in mind, and of those who do now. I am proud of our heroes, both those who lost their lives for us, those who survived and returned to us, and those who yet now defend us and keep us safe so that democracy lives on here in the United States. Unlike our present First Lady, I have been proud to be an American since I was old enough to understand our freedom and our rights. And I will always be so...I just hope and pray that our nation weathers the hard times we are in and comes out even stronger and more freedom-loving than ever. As I pulled into our driveway, I saw nearby sky rockets exploding, red and many other colors flashing in the night, and I was happy to be home, and so blessed that America is my home.
God Bless America!
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