With a little twist of the key in the ignition, I gave thought of driving around the countryside to get some new topics to pen for the ‘Tales’. After that thought was cut abruptly short due to the sheer cost in fuel for 20-30 miles of driving gravel and minimum-maintenance roads, I figured why reinvent the wheel, no pun, just read my old emails.
Several weeks ago I received an interesting email where the sender was from a larger city on the east coast. I’m not sure if the origin was from an old book, a newspaper article or something his backyard neighbor penned having grown up in South Dakota, a half century ago. The main thread recalls how pavement has taken a very dear part of what America was weaned on during the “Good Old Days”. Dirt Roads?
Those nasty old dirt and gravel roads gave more travelers headaches than anything else, and I can personally attest to the experiences of that. As a kid riding with Dad to the farm about 4.5 east of Wausa, it seemed like there were zillions of times that we got stuck in what I would describe as sink-holes of mud. Often we were high centered in deep ruts, spinning those mud grips on the old Chevy to the point that smoke rolled off the wheels like a there was a bonfire in the trunk. It would be easy to continue from here describing yet another volume of situations that certainly left a bad taste in your mouth. Whoa, wait, what did I read? These roads turn out, in fact, what we need more of today! What?
In our little corner on the planet, the old days really aren’t that old or far removed from our basic way of travel. What the following email expounds on and wants us to believe is the fact that all of US live in a concrete jungle and driving on Dirt Roads takes us back to ’yesteryear’. Maybe the boys at OK-Concrete would like to see that happen, but we, right here in Knox County, are motoring-proof for the pudding that those ugly, old Dirt Roads are just what the doctor ordered!
You be the judge on how our economy-designed roads have contributed to a better, and more highly valued lifestyle….happy reading. Now I know why everybody enjoys driving 4WD machinery these days. Or, maybe, just maybe, this could be a subliminal message from the OPEC countries: ‘Drive less, stay home, stay off the roads, and life in America can relive the ’good ol’ days’, like we never left. Dirt is us. Enjoy this nostagic trip back to TODAY.
DIRT ROADS: What’s mainly wrong with society today is that too many Dirt Roads have been paved. There is not a problem in America today, crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency that wouldn’t be remedied, if we just had more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character.
People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life is a bumpy ride. That it can jar you right down to your teeth sometimes, but it’s worth it, if at the end is home…a loving spouse, happy kids and a dog.
We would not have near the trouble with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along. There was less crime in our streets before they were paved. Criminals didn’t walk two dusty miles to rob or vandalize, if they knew they’d be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and a double barrel shotgun. And there were no drive by shootings. Our values were better when our roads were worse!
People did not worship their cars more than their kids, and motorists were more courteous, they didn’t tailgate by riding the bumper or the guy in front would choke you with dust & bust your windshield with rocks. Dirt Roads taught patience. Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly; you didn’t hop in your car for a quart of milk you walked to the barn for your milk. For your mail, you walked to the mailbox.
What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out? That was the best part, then you stayed home and had some family time, roasted marshmallows and popped popcorn and pony rode on Daddy’s shoulders and learned how to make prettier quilts than anybody.
At the end of Dirt Roads, you soon learned that bad words tasted like soap. Most paved roads lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole. At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn’t some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini. At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income, from when city dudes would get stuck, you’d have to hitch up a team and pull them out.
Usually you got a dollar…always you got a new friend…at the end of a Dirt Road!
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