DYNAMITE!

There is nothing in the world quite like traveling with the people you love.  Everyone is on their own schedule, although trying hard to share the stage of decision making with all the other travelers, while still maintaining control of the situation, at least in their own head, and to their advantage.

Recently my family has been cooped up in the car for a couple of short trips which always leads to exciting moments that could rock the boat, or at the very least, make life a little more interesting.  The best things happen when no one is watching, like, when my husband caught on video a big brother, and, little sister singing their favorite song together.   If not for the video evidence, in 10 years would either of them admit they did this?  Let alone, that at one time they liked each other, and, would sing together!

These are the moments I choose to keep.  Letting go of the petty bickering for controlling interest in which of the rest areas we will stop at, and, how many gift shops the group will visit took me a day or two, but now it’s on to brighter days, and, new songs.   

One of my favorite annual trips is to the Rail Road Park Resort click here to visit the Rail Road Park Resort  in Dunsmuir, CA. where spending the night in a revamped rail car, or caboose nestled underneath the outcroppings of the Castle Crags click here to visit Castle Crags state park brings shouts of glee to our family as we arrive.

The search can bring as much joy as the discovery.  

Surrounded, or, rather burrowed into the history of the car I can let my mind wander and imagine the lives of people using this rail car for work, recreation, travel, or surreptitious affairs in days long gone.  The conversations that took place, the laughter, passion, heartbreak, and, hope that flowed through these faceless people generations before me is a lust worth savoring for an imaginative mind.  Creating the people who worked, and traveled on these ancient rail cars is better than a Louis L'Amour novel, well, it is when I’m staying here anyway. 

Rail Road Park Resort, Dunsmuir, California

I am certain that back in the day of these rail cars being used they were at times filled with laughter, an occasional argument, which, once in a while, would erupt into a well-attended fist fight.  Remember that the era of these wood sided rail cars, demanded swift action without delay, and for that era few things would have been better than fists for swift punishment upon an attack.  Hesitation would certainly bring worse problems upon you.  These workers were real, living, breathing humans, with dreams, hopes, passions, loves, and lovers.  Courage wasn’t an option for anyone.  It was with this word that life was lived, or, life was destroyed.

 

Do you live with courage today?  Some days I do.  Other days I would rather pull a blanket over my head, pretending that I didn’t see that, hear that, or, have to deal with that.  This year seems to be my year of proving myself courageous, if only in my own eyes.  Such turmoil has surrounded my community this year, but, from verbal attacking mayhem, can come great pleasure in realizing how resilient you truly are.  In standing tall, and arming yourself with researched truths, eyes that are not blind to obtainable facts, and filling your heart with courage, the ugliness attacking at you will fall away into the darkness you have walked away from, and all of it by simply educating yourself.

Courage....comes in all forms.

Simple pleasures, like children singing without a care, or the momentary glances into the soul of another who is courageous can give me hope in the dark of the night.  Hope that angst will befall those walking with a dark heart.  Hope that my loves will flourish, and, that these loves reach out for the courage inside them, for it is a powerful tool to have on hand, and grabbing onto it will open doors never before dreamed of by them. 

Like these old wooden rail cars where so many have passed through, and so much living has taken place, sometimes courage will erupt from you when you least expect it, in small ways that you might not recognize as courageous, but courage shows it’s face in many forms.  These eruptions will bring forth new delights, relationships, desires, and, rewards. 

Courage will let you release the obstacles holding you back, and live to a code that is set by you, for you. In finding your courage, Life Will Find A Way to let your heart dance, support you in your quest, and to dream of things you mustn’t (it’s a word I tell you!) act upon, like punching someone you’ve been cooped up in the car with for hours on end.  All you can do sometimes is turn up the music, and, dream about how you can grab the courage inside of you, that is waiting to explode like dynamite.  

~Nita Lundberg