Heading East

After I graduated from college I spent 2 years in The-Middle-Of-No-Where Nebraska teaching school. One day one of the local families showed me where the historic Mormon Trail cut across their farm land. All these years later the grass still doesn't grow in the ruts hardened by countless wagon wheels.

It completely captured my imagination. For a time I read everything I could find on the subject of pioneers going west. The womens' diaries were the most interesting. Their hardships were unimaginable. Leaving everyone they knew and loved behind - most likely to never see them again. Many were naive young brides. They ended up discarding many of their treasured belongings along the way to lighten the load. For the most part they walked the route. They constantly fought disease, weather and malnutrition - it wasn't unusual to bury a child along the way.  The prairie was pitiless, often not even a tree in sight for a spot of shade or even privacy. They shielded each other with their long skirts. Some women couldn't endure it and just simply lost their minds.

I actually have a certain amount of pioneer heritage. However, it would seem that I am now living proof that my pioneer blood has since been diluted by whiners and big babies.

Today we finally leave the San Francisco Bay Area and head to North Carolina. I know I've been sounding like I'm going on a 1-way interplanetary space mission and I'm a little chagrined about that.  I'm trying to find my perspective. It's the trip to acceptance that's been a long one for me.

As I told one of my dearest friends - it's all about proximity, and we can work around that.